Education, Agriculture applicants get UTME waiver as JAMB unveils new policy.

By Bukola Hameed

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 board disclosed this on Monday via a post shared on its official X handle 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.

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

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

While exemptions from the UTME are not entirely new, particularly for Direct Entry candidates and some special categories, the latest decision is considered one of the broadest waivers introduced by the examination body in recent years.

The move 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 other qualifications.

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

The new policy is also expected to encourage more candidates to pursue careers in teaching and agriculture, sectors considered critical to national development and food security.
Earlier, reports indicated that the board was expected to decide the 2026 UTME cut-off marks during Monday’s policy meeting.