The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has begun inviting underage candidates who scored 320 and above in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for further assessment.

JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the affected candidates will proceed to the next stage of evaluation through their chosen institutions.

According to him, the board has already sent notifications to qualified candidates as part of its special consideration policy for exceptionally gifted underage applicants.

The message sent to candidates indicates that those who meet the required threshold have had their details forwarded to their preferred institutions for screening and further processing.

It also instructs candidates to ensure their O-level results are uploaded on the JAMB portal and to contact their institutions for further instructions.

JAMB explained that the initiative is part of its policy for exceptional candidates who are below the minimum admission age but have demonstrated outstanding academic performance.

Under the policy, underage candidates must score at least 320 in the UTME and also perform strongly in subsequent screening exercises to qualify for admission consideration.

The board had earlier withheld the results of underage candidates pending review, with affected candidates initially receiving “No Result Yet” notifications.

JAMB maintained that the policy is designed to uphold standards in the education system while ensuring only truly exceptional candidates are granted early admission opportunities.

It added that the screening process is ongoing and urged stakeholders to remain patient as institutions conduct further assessments in line with agreed guidelines.