JUST IN: FG exempts colleges of education candidates from writing UTME

The federal government has announced that candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education will no longer be required to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, disclosed this on Monday during the 2026 admission policy meeting organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in Abuja.

According to the minister, candidates with four credit passes in relevant subjects will now be eligible to apply for admission into Colleges of Education without writing the UTME.

He explained that affected candidates would still be required to register with JAMB, while their credentials would undergo screening, verification, and certification before admission letters are issued through the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS), in line with existing regulations.

The minister said the policy would take effect from next year.

The development marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process and is expected to encourage more students to pursue teacher education programmes amid efforts to strengthen the education sector and address manpower shortages in schools across the country.