The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board) has announced that candidates seeking admission into Education programmes as well as non-engineering Agriculture-related courses in colleges of education and polytechnics will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The board made this known in a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday during its ongoing 2026 policy meeting on admissions.

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

At the 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions held in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed that applicants for the National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme who possess at least four credit passes will no longer be required to write the UTME.

He, however, emphasised that affected candidates must still register with JAMB and undergo verification through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS).

“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,” Alausa said.

The minister further explained that the exemption also extends to candidates applying for National Diploma programmes in non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related disciplines.

According to him, the policy is designed to broaden access to tertiary education while preserving academic standards.

“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.

The development represents a significant adjustment to Nigeria’s tertiary admission framework, where the UTME has traditionally served as the primary entry examination for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.

The annual policy meeting organised by JAMB typically determines admission guidelines, including cut-off marks and other requirements for tertiary institutions.

The latest decision is expected to reshape admission pathways for education and selected agriculture programmes, which have historically recorded lower cut-off marks compared to highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Law and Engineering.