The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cancelled the administration of the aptitude examination for candidates aiming for Direct Entry in 2024.
The examination body made the announcement on Monday through a post on its official social media accounts.
The examination board has indicated that alternative criteria for admissions will be evaluated for candidates applying through Direct Entry.
The announcement:
“Attention 2024 DE Candidates! This is to inform you that the Board has shelved the conduct of aptitude test for the year, other placement criteria shall be considered for your admission while adequate preparation goes into the exercise ahead of next year,” JAMB said.
A recent analysis of the admissions data for the 2022/2023 academic session in Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and other tertiary institutions reveals that 88 institutions conducted admissions outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).
JAMB has since declared that any admissions carried out outside CAPS are deemed illegal, null, and void.
The board introduced CAPS in 2017 to streamline and automate the admissions process, requiring all tertiary institutions to upload the admission status of candidates.
This system centralizes and automates the interaction between candidates and their chosen institutions.
In 2020, JAMB explicitly warned institutions against offering admissions through their own portals, labelling such actions as a direct violation of the CAPS protocol.
In April 2024, JAMB reiterated its stance, stating it would no longer tolerate illegal admissions conducted outside CAPS.
The exam umpire issued a bulletin advising candidates to reject admissions not processed through CAPS.
The statement, titled ‘Cessation of Illegal/Irregular Admissions,’ emphasized that all admissions to first degree, national diploma, national innovation diploma, and the Nigeria Certificate in Education programs—whether full-time, part-time, distance-learning or other formats—must be processed exclusively through JAMB.