JAMB tells candidates to confirm subject combinations before admission
- JAMB says a good UTME score and O'Level results may still not secure admission if the subject combination is wrong.
- Candidates can check approved requirements for each course and institution on the IBASS portal.
- The board urged students to verify details before choosing courses or changing admission plans.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has asked candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to confirm the approved subject combinations for their chosen courses before making their choices.
In an advisory posted on its JAMB Explained platform on X on Friday, the board warned that strong results alone do not guarantee a place. According to JAMB, a candidate can score well in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and have good O'Level results and still be ineligible if the subjects do not match what the course requires.
"Do you know that your subject combination might be the reason you don't get admitted?" the board asked in the post. It noted that every institution sets its own requirements for each programme.
How to check on the IBASS portal
JAMB directed candidates to its Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS) at www.ibass.jamb.gov.ng. The steps, as outlined by the board:
- Visit the IBASS website and click on the brochure section.
- Select the option to view all institutions.
- Use the institution filter to find your preferred university, polytechnic or college of education.
- Select the course you want and click "View Details".
The details shown include the approved O'Level subjects and grades for the course, as well as the correct UTME subject combination.
Why it matters
For many Nigerian families, admission is the result of years of school fees and months of preparation for JAMB and WAEC or NECO. A wrong subject combination can quietly cancel that effort, even when the scores look good enough.
JAMB advised candidates to study the requirements carefully and make sure their O'Level subjects and grades, and their UTME subjects, meet the conditions set for their chosen programmes. The board stressed that meeting each institution's subject requirements is a necessary condition for admission, no matter how well a candidate performs in the examinations.
Candidates who are still deciding on courses, or who plan to change their programmes, are the ones most likely to benefit from checking the portal first.
