JAMB's Four Institution Choice: Is It Time to Reform the Admission Selection Process?

JAMB's Four Institution Choice: Is It Time to Reform the Admission Selection Process? By OGB Admission Hub Editorial Every year, millions of UTME candidates are asked by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to select up to four institutions during registration. On the surface, this appears to give candidates multiple opportunities to secure admission. However, the reality of Nigeria's admission process tells a different story. The Reality Behind the Four Choices A typical JAMB registration allows candidates to choose: First Choice Second Choice Third Choice Fourth Choice Many candidates believe these four selections provide four equal admission opportunities. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. Today, most federal and state universities only consider candidates who choose them as First Choice . This means a candidate who selects: First Choice: University of Lagos Second Choice: University of Ibadan is unlikely to be considered by UI unless they later process a Change of Institution and make UI their First Choice. This leaves many candidates surprised when they discover that their second-choice university will not even invite them for Post-UTME screening. The Financial Burden on Candidates When a candidate changes their mind or realizes their first-choice institution may not offer admission, the only practical option is to purchase a JAMB Change of Institution service. For many families, especially those with limited financial resources, paying repeatedly for changes adds to the cost of pursuing higher education. A Better Solution Through JAMB CAPS Rather than requiring candidates to pay each time they wish to change institutions or courses, JAMB could introduce a more flexible approach through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS). Suggested Reform Candidates should be able to: View all four institutions originally selected during JAMB registration. Toggle between those four choices on CAPS before admission decisions are finalized. Save one institution as their active First Choice without paying an additional Change of Institution fee. Make similar adjustments to their course of study within the institutions they originally selected, subject to each institution's admission policies. This system would still preserve the integrity of the admission process while giving candidates flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Benefits of This Approach Such a reform would: Reduce unnecessary financial burdens on candidates and parents. Eliminate confusion surrounding first and second-choice admissions. Make the admission process more transparent. Reduce congestion created by repeated Change of Institution applications. Give candidates a fair opportunity to maximize the four choices they made during registration. A Call for Greater Transparency Another improvement would be for JAMB to clearly inform candidates during registration that: Most universities admit only First Choice candidates. Second, third, and fourth choices may not be considered by many universities. Candidates should carefully research each institution's admission policy before making their selections. Providing this information upfront would help candidates make more informed decisions. An Appeal to JAMB Nigeria's admission system has improved significantly through innovations such as CAPS, online admissions, and electronic verification. Introducing greater flexibility in managing the four institution choices would be another positive step. Allowing candidates to activate any of their originally selected institutions through CAPS—without requiring another payment—would make the process more student-friendly while maintaining order and fairness. Conclusion The purpose of allowing candidates to choose four institutions should be to provide genuine admission options, not merely additional entries on a registration form. If those four choices cannot realistically be used without paying extra fees, then there is room for improvement. OGB Admission Hub believes that a more flexible CAPS system would benefit candidates, parents, institutions, and the admission process as a whole. What do you think? Should JAMB allow candidates to switch among their original four institution choices on CAPS without paying for a Change of Institution? Share your opinion in the comments.