(JAMB LOGO. Photo by BBC)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that candidates applying for Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics will no longer be required to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The board made this known through a post on its official X handle on Monday, during its ongoing policy meeting on admissions, stating that such candidates are now exempted from the UTME.
At the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa elaborated on the exemption, clarifying that candidates seeking admission into the National Certificate in Education programme who possess a minimum of four credit passes would no longer be required to sit the UTME.
However, the minister emphasized that such candidates are still obligated to register with JAMB, and that their credentials would be thoroughly screened, verified, and certified before admission letters are issued through the Central Admissions Processing System, in line with existing regulations.
Alausa further disclosed that the exemption would also cover candidates applying for National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses, broadening the scope of the policy beyond NCE applicants alone.
The minister explained that the policy is designed to broaden access to tertiary education without compromising admission standards.
He noted that the approach strikes a balance between widening participation and preserving the integrity of the admissions process, adding that it would help ease the pressure associated with the UTME while encouraging more candidates to pursue teacher education and agricultural programmes both of which he identified as critical to the country’s development.
The announcement represents a notable departure from the long-standing practice in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system, where the UTME has traditionally served as the universal entry examination for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education alike.
JAMB’s annual policy meeting is typically convened to establish admission guidelines, including the determination of cut-off marks and other procedures applicable to tertiary institutions across the country.
The new policy is expected to create alternative admission pathways for candidates seeking places in education-related and non-engineering agriculture programmes, with institutional screening and other qualifications potentially serving as substitutes for the UTME.
It is worth noting that in recent years, Education and Agriculture courses have generally attracted lower cut-off marks compared to more competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law, and Engineering.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the determination of the 2026 UTME cut-off marks was among the key items on the agenda for Monday’s policy meeting.