JAMB Direct Entry explained: who qualifies and how it works

Direct Entry (DE) is JAMB's route into university for candidates who already hold an advanced qualification. DE candidates do not write the UTME; they register with JAMB and are admitted on their qualification and O'Level results, usually into 200 level.

Who can apply

Common qualifications include:

• A'Level results (for example, Cambridge A'Level)
• IJMB or JUPEB results
• National Diploma (ND) from a polytechnic
• Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE)
• A first degree or HND, for a second degree in a new field

Each university decides which qualifications and grades it accepts for each course, so check your course.

What you also need

• O'Level results that meet the course requirements, usually five credits including English and Mathematics.
• A qualification in subjects related to the course you want.
• Some universities screen DE candidates too, sometimes in the same exercise as UTME candidates.

How to register

Direct Entry registration follows the same JAMB steps as the UTME: a profile code from your NIN, a Direct Entry ePIN, and registration with biometrics at an accredited CBT centre. JAMB announces the DE registration window each year, often later than the UTME window.

Is Direct Entry right for you? It can be a good route if you missed admission through the UTME, or if a pre-degree programme like JUPEB or IJMB is offered for the university you want. It takes extra time and fees, so compare it with rewriting the UTME.

See AdmitMe's Direct Entry page for how DE fits with each university's screening.