BREAKING: JAMB Exempts Education, Agriculture Candidates From UTME

• JAMB has announced that candidates seeking admission into Education and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics will no longer be required to sit for the UTME.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that candidates seeking admission into Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses in Colleges of Education and Polytechnics will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.

The board disclosed this in a post shared on its official X handle on Monday during its ongoing policy meeting on admissions.

“Candidates seeking admissions into Education Programmes and Agriculture non-Engineering Courses are now exempted from UTME,” the board stated.

Speaking at the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, explained that candidates seeking admission into National Certificate in Education programmes would no longer need to write the UTME if they possess the required qualifications.

“Candidates seeking admission into the NCE programme, who possess a minimum of four credit passes, will no longer be required to sit for the UTME,” Alausa declared.

The minister, however, stressed that affected candidates must still register with JAMB for proper screening and admission processing through the Central Admissions Processing System.

“However, it is imperative to emphasise that such candidates shall mandatorily register with JAMB, and their credentials shall be duly screened, verified, and certified for the issuance of admission letters through CAPS, in accordance with extant regulations,” he stated.

Alausa added that the exemption would also apply to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses.

“This exemption shall extend to candidates seeking admission into National Diploma programmes in non-technology agricultural and agriculture-related courses,” he noted.

According to the minister, the policy is designed to expand access to tertiary education while maintaining the integrity of the admission process.

“This approach strikes a necessary balance between widening access and preserving the integrity of our admission system.

“It will not only ease the pressure associated with UTME but also encourage greater participation in teacher education and agricultural programmes, both of which are critical to national development,” he added.

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The development marks a major shift in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, as the UTME has traditionally been the standard entrance examination for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.

The annual policy meeting organised by JAMB is usually convened to determine admission guidelines, including cut-off marks and other procedures for tertiary institutions.

The new policy is expected to affect candidates seeking admission into education-related courses and agriculture programmes outside engineering disciplines, potentially creating alternative admission pathways through institutional screening and qualification verification.

In recent years, Education and Agriculture courses have generally attracted lower cut-off marks compared to highly competitive programmes such as Medicine, Law, and Engineering.