The Federal Government has announced a major policy shift that exempts candidates seeking admission into Federal Colleges of Education from sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the decision on Monday during the 2026 Policy Meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held in Abuja.
According to him, the exemption also extends to applicants for programmes in technology, agriculture, and other related skill-based disciplines. He explained that the reform is designed to widen access to critical and vocational education while strengthening skills development across key sectors.
Despite the exemption, the minister stressed that all candidates must still meet the required O’Level qualifications before gaining admission.
In a related announcement, JAMB also confirmed that candidates applying for Education programmes and non-engineering Agriculture courses will no longer be required to sit for UTME. The board made the clarification via its official X handle during the ongoing policy meeting.
JAMB noted that the annual policy session is responsible for setting admission guidelines, including cut-off marks and other requirements for tertiary institutions across the country.
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