Tell the checker what you studied, where and how, your date of birth and your graduation date. It tells you whether NYSC is likely to mobilise you, exempt you or exclude you, gives the reason from NYSC’s own rules, and lists what to do next.
Tell the checker about your study
Use the date your institution gives as your graduation date. Ask your registry if you are not sure which date it uses.
Anything else that applies?
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, and your dates stay on your device.
Your result
Your result shows up here once you fill in the form.
The five outcomes
| Outcome | What it means | Document |
|---|---|---|
| Mobilised | You are posted for one continuous year of service. | Call-up letter and, at the end, a discharge certificate |
| Exempted | You qualify under a ground in the Decree, such as being over thirty at graduation. You do not serve. | Exemption certificate |
| Excluded | You studied part-time. You register and are not posted. | Exclusion letter, printed online |
| Not covered | Your award is not one NYSC lists, such as an ND on its own. | Ask for written confirmation |
| Check | NYSC’s notices do not settle your case, so ask NYSC and your institution. | A written answer |
What NYSC’s rules say
- Who serves. The NYSC Decree covers graduates of universities in Nigeria and abroad, holders of the Higher National Diploma, and holders of the National Certificate in Education. Service is one continuous year.
- The age rule. A person who is over the age of thirty at graduation is not called up. It is your age on your graduation date that counts, not your age when you register.
- Other exemptions. More than nine months in the armed forces or the police, staff of the listed security agencies, and a national honour.
- Part-time graduates. They register when the portal opens and print an exclusion letter online.
- Deferment. NYSC can defer call-up for a reasonable cause.
Four worked examples
A full-time graduate under thirty. A candidate born on 15 June 2000 graduates from a Nigerian university on 20 July 2024 with a BSc. They were 24, which is under thirty, and no exemption ground applies. The checker says You will be mobilised for national service. Next steps: Register on the NYSC portal with your correct matriculation number. You must be on your institution’s Senate-approved result list.
A graduate over thirty. A candidate born on 10 January 1990 graduates on the same date. Their 30th birthday was on 10 January 2020, well before graduation, so the checker says Exempted: collect an exemption certificate. They collect the certificate from their institution.
A part-time graduate. The same young candidate who studied part-time gets Excluded: print an exclusion letter. Part-time study decides the outcome here, whatever their age.
A foreign-trained graduate. The same candidate with a degree from outside Nigeria is still mobilised, but the steps change: Submit your certificates to NYSC for evaluation, then come to NYSC headquarters with your original documents for clearance.
Documents and registration
For mobilisation, NYSC’s guidelines say locally trained graduates register with their correct matriculation number and must be on the Senate-approved result list. You need a working email address and a Nigerian phone number, and your passport photograph needs a plain white or off-white background. Married women upload their marriage certificate and evidence of a name change. Do not register by proxy, and never submit a fake document, because that leads to demobilisation.
What this checker cannot decide
- Distance, sandwich and other study modes. NYSC’s notices do not cover them, so the checker says Check.
- Which date your institution treats as your graduation date.
- Awards that are not in the standard list, which the Decree lets the President add to.
- A written ruling on an unusual case. Ask NYSC and keep the reply.
Mistakes that cause trouble
Counting your age at registration
The age rule looks at your age at graduation. Counting it on the day you register gives the wrong answer.
Not registering because you think you are exempt
Exempted and excluded graduates still need to register to get their certificate or letter. Do it when the portal opens.
Collecting a certificate from the wrong place
Home-trained graduates collect an exemption certificate at their institution, not from an NYSC office. Foreign-trained graduates collect theirs at NYSC headquarters in Abuja, in person.
Assuming part-time and distance are the same
NYSC’s notices name part-time graduates. They say nothing about distance or sandwich study, so get an answer in writing.
Questions students ask
What is the NYSC age limit?
NYSC does not call up a person who is over the age of thirty at graduation. The age that counts is your age on your graduation date, not your age when you register. A graduate who was under thirty at graduation can still serve after turning thirty if mobilisation was delayed.
What is the difference between exemption and exclusion?
On NYSC’s own pages, an exemption certificate goes to graduates who qualify under the grounds in the Decree, such as being over thirty at graduation. Part-time graduates register online and print an exclusion letter. They are two documents for two groups, and both mean you will not be posted to camp.
Do part-time graduates serve?
NYSC says part-time graduates register when the portal opens and print an exclusion letter online. They are not mobilised for service.
What about distance learning and sandwich graduates?
NYSC’s own notices do not mention them, and published reports disagree. Ask your institution’s NYSC desk how your programme is classed, and ask in writing. The checker says Check for these.
Do ND graduates serve?
The Decree names graduates of universities, holders of the Higher National Diploma and holders of the National Certificate in Education. A National Diploma on its own is not in that list. Confirm with your institution or NYSC.
Do foreign-trained graduates serve?
Yes, if they qualify. The Decree covers graduates of universities outside Nigeria. They submit certificates for evaluation, and come to NYSC headquarters in Abuja with original documents. Those who are exempted collect their certificate at headquarters, in person.
Who else is exempt?
The Decree also exempts a person who has served more than nine months in the armed forces or the police, staff of listed security agencies, and a person who holds a national honour.
Can NYSC service be deferred?
The Decree lets NYSC defer call-up for a reasonable cause. The orientation camp is not suitable for pregnant and nursing mothers, who are not accommodated. Ask NYSC about deferment before camp, and expect to show evidence.
How long is NYSC service?
One continuous year from the date in your call-up instrument.
