The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced that it will determine the official cutoff marks for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination during a key policy meeting scheduled for May 11.
According to details released by the examination body, the decision will be made at its annual policy meeting on admissions. This gathering typically brings together stakeholders in the education sector, including heads of tertiary institutions and government officials, to agree on admission guidelines for the upcoming academic session.
A spokesperson for JAMB, Fabian Benjamin, disclosed that the meeting will hold in Abuja. He explained that important decisions affecting candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education will be finalized during the session. The policy meeting plays a central role in Nigeria’s admission process. It is where authorities agree on the minimum scores candidates must achieve in the UTME to qualify for admission consideration. These scores, often referred to as cutoff marks, serve as a baseline for all institutions, although individual schools may set higher requirements depending on competition and available spaces.
During the meeting, the Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, is expected to announce broader policy directions that will guide admissions into tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session. The cutoff marks to be announced are highly anticipated by candidates across the country. Millions of students who sat for the 2026 UTME are waiting to know the minimum score required to secure admission into their preferred institutions.
Although the official figures have not yet been released, past trends suggest that general minimum scores are usually set differently for each category of institution. Universities often have higher benchmarks compared to polytechnics and colleges of education. However, individual institutions may still raise their requirements beyond the agreed national minimum, especially for competitive courses like Medicine, Law, and Engineering.
Education analysts note that the outcome of the policy meeting will shape admission opportunities for many candidates. A higher cutoff mark could limit the number of eligible applicants, while a lower benchmark may increase access but also intensify competition at the institutional level.
In addition to cutoff marks, the meeting will also address other admission-related issues, including guidelines for screening processes and the overall framework for the 2026 admission cycle. For candidates, the announcement on May 11 will provide clarity on their chances of gaining admission and help them make informed decisions about their next steps, such as changing institutions, switching courses, or preparing for post-UTME screenings.
As anticipation builds, stakeholders in the education sector are closely watching the outcome of the meeting, which remains a critical milestone in Nigeria’s annual admission process.
