The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that candidates seeking admission into Education programmes and Agriculture-related non-engineering courses will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The examination body disclosed the development on Monday through a statement posted on its official X account during its ongoing annual policy meeting on admissions.
According to JAMB, the new directive applies specifically to applicants seeking admission into Education courses as well as Agriculture programmes outside engineering disciplines.
The decision represents a major adjustment to Nigeria’s tertiary institution admission process, where the UTME has traditionally served as the primary entrance examination for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
JAMB’s annual policy meeting is held each year to determine admission procedures, including cut-off marks, entry requirements and guidelines for tertiary institutions across the country.
Although certain categories of candidates, such as Direct Entry applicants, have previously enjoyed exemptions from the UTME, education stakeholders say the latest waiver is among the most extensive introduced by the board in recent years.
The new policy is expected to open alternative admission pathways for eligible candidates through institutional screening processes and other approved qualifications, rather than relying solely on UTME scores.
Analysts believe the move may also help boost enrollment in Education and Agriculture-related fields, which have historically recorded lower application rates and lower cut-off marks compared to highly competitive courses such as Medicine, Law and Engineering.
The announcement comes as JAMB continues deliberations on the 2026 admission guidelines and expected UTME cut-off marks during its ongoing policy meeting.
