Cut-Off Mark Day: JAMB Sets May 11 As Decision Point
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that its annual Policy Meeting on Admissions will hold on Monday, May 11, at the Body of Benchers Auditorium, Plot 688, Institute and Research District, FCC Phase III, Jabi, Abuja, a gathering widely regarded as one of the most consequential events in Nigeria’s tertiary education calendar.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the meeting will determine the minimum Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) cut-off marks for the 2026/2027 academic session, among other critical admission policy decisions. Key policy directions are expected to be unveiled by the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa.
The policy meeting brings together vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and heads of regulatory agencies, and serves as a critical platform for determining the minimum UTME scores required for admission into tertiary institutions across the country. During the meeting, participants agree on a general benchmark, after which individual institutions are permitted to set their own specific cut-off marks in line with the approved guidelines.
Benjamin, in the official statement, described the meeting as “a crucial annual gathering where stakeholders decide minimum tolerable UTME marks, admission guidelines, and policies for tertiary institutions,” adding that it is expected to formally set the tone for the 2026/2027 admission exercise while impressing on attendees the need for strict adherence to stipulated guidelines.
Attendees will include vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, registrars and their admissions officers, as well as regulatory bodies such as the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). Goodwill messages are also expected from agencies including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
At the 2025 edition of the policy meeting, approved cut-off marks were set at 150 for federal and state universities, 140 for colleges of nursing, and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education. Whether the 2026 meeting will retain or revise those benchmarks remains to be seen, with over 1.5 million candidates having sat the 2026 UTME.
A notable feature of the May 11 event will be the 6th edition of the National Tertiary Admissions Performance-Merit Awards (NATAP-M). The NATAP-M awards are presented to deserving tertiary institutions in recognition of their compliance with admission guidelines and commitment to improving standards, an initiative JAMB has used to incentivise accountability across the sector.
All eyes in Nigeria’s education sector will be on Abuja next Monday as decisions taken at the meeting will shape the academic futures of hundreds of thousands of candidates awaiting admission.