“Transfer Approval” and “Admission Eligibility Newly Introduced on CAPS: The Possible Effects (TAGS: OAU, ADMISSION, NAIRALAND, GOOGLE, DIRECT ENTRY, CAPS, JAMB, UTME, POST-UTME, ADMISSION LIST, FIRST BATCH, SECOND BATCH, THIRD BATCH, VC LIST)

“Transfer Approval” and “Admission Eligibility" Newly Introduced on CAPS: The Possible Effects

JAMB insists the reason for the introduction of CAPS is to monitor all admission processes, to make sure that: applicants can only get an admission they are qualified for; and no applicant can get multiple admissions while there are others looking for one.  Judging by how JAMB has been introducing new functions on CAPS every now and then, one can have the impression that JAMB knows what they are doing with CAPS just as they knew what they were doing when they introduced all sort of things like biometrics, CBT, CCTV watch in exam halls and so on, to UTME just to eradicate the malpractice of the exam. We all know how candidates used to have issues knowing whether their O/Levels were uploaded to CAPS during registration or not, and how since JAMB introduced the O/Level sections on CAPS, everyone can just click on the function to see whether their O/Levels are there on the web or not; see how that has been made easy. But as good as the strives of JAMB is on CAPS and the introduction of the newest function on CAPS—Transfer Approval and Admission Eligibility, what effects would these functions have on the applicants—OAU aspirants especially?

The introduction of Transfer Approval is good for aspirants of OAU, as usually, OAU doesn’t automatically offer applicants admission to a department they have not applied to. Please notice the emphasis on automatically, because I said that to mean unless you are using a slot or something like that, if you are not qualified for the course you have chosen, OAU will not consider you for another course which you are qualified for. And I must say here again that the course OAU considers you for is always the course on your application as at when the Post-UTME registration begins. Although previously, it used to be the course on your application as at when Post-UTME results are released, which means candidate used to have the opportunity to change courses after writing their Post-UTME before their results are released, and the new course will be the one to appear on their OAU portal (instead of the old course), which is what they would be considered for admission on. This is because OAU used to take data from JAMB more than once, unlike now that OAU takes data from JAMB just once. It means whatever you have on your JAMB portal by when Post-UTME registration begins will be what will appear on your OAU portal, which is what you will be considered for.

But with JAMB’s introduction of Transfer Approval, JAMB can independently transfer a candidate from one department (they are not qualified for) to another department they may have the qualifications of, so they can be processed for such department. This is very good, but not good for OAU aspirants who slots are used for to a course with a cutoff higher than their score. It would only mean slots can barely work anymore—which is very bad. Slots can now work for aspirants only when they are not qualified for the course they have on their portal and they don’t want the course JAMB is trying to transfer them to, so they are given a slot to another department which they also must be qualified for, which is the only way slots will work henceforth. This is good for business as a tutorial master, as our tutorial candidates can now have higher hopes of admission without having to use a slot, but bad for business as a runsman as we don’t get to have so much candidates needing slots anymore. But whichever way, we are still happy as the primary goal here is that our candidates are admitted.

The introduction of Admission Eligibility to CAPS is the newest function to add to the web, and I can already tell it’s a very good one. Good one because aspirants and their wards won’t have to wait on an admission that will never be given again. You just check your eligibility for the course you are under consideration for, and if you don’t have three green boxes carrying yes, yes and yes in them, you already know you can’t be offered admission to that course, this is when you need a slot—the only place left which slots can still work. Your slot person will just need to get a slot for you to another department which cutoff you beat; you see how easy it suddenly got to process admission? You are carried along in every process, instead of being left in the dark as it used to be years ago. Kudos to JAMB. But if you are an aspirant currently on slots, it’s advisable you talk to your slot person ASAP to know how the new development will be affecting you or has affected you, and re-strategize on the new thing to do.