The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has introduced a major change to Nigeria’s admission process, announcing that candidates seeking to study Education and certain Agriculture-related courses will no longer need to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The update was made public on Monday, May 11, through the board’s official X platform 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.
This marks a significant shift from the long-standing system where the UTME has served as the primary gateway into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education nationwide.
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JAMB’s policy meeting, held annually, is responsible for setting admission guidelines, including cut-off marks and procedures that guide institutions each academic session.
While certain categories of applicants, such as Direct Entry candidates, have previously been exempted from the examination, the latest directive extends that flexibility to a broader group.
The policy is expected to reshape access to Education and non-engineering Agriculture programmes, allowing candidates to gain admission through alternative processes such as institutional screening and other approved criteria.
Historically, both Education and Agriculture courses have recorded lower entry thresholds compared to more competitive fields like Medicine, Law, and Engineering, and the new development may further influence admission patterns in those areas.