The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has canceled the 2024 aptitude test for Direct Entry candidates. In a statement on its X account on Monday, JAMB announced that alternative criteria would be used for Direct Entry admissions this year.

"Attention 2024 DE Candidates! This is to inform you that the Board has shelved the conduct of the aptitude test for the year. Other placement criteria shall be considered for your admission while adequate preparation goes into the exercise ahead of next year," the statement read.

JAMB also confirmed that all processes are in place for the commencement of admissions into the nation's tertiary institutions. The annual policy meeting, crucial for admissions, is scheduled for Thursday and will be chaired by the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, in Abuja. This meeting will officially authorize the start of this year's admission process.

According to JAMB, the policy meeting will also feature the National Tertiary Admissions’ Performance-Merit Award (NATAP-M Awards), with the overall winner receiving N500 million and other winners sharing N250 million collectively. The meeting, attended by vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, and other key stakeholders, will review the guidelines for the 2024 admission exercise, including the performance of the 2023 admissions and the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The minimum admission scores for institutions will be approved at the meeting. JAMB clarified that this is not a cut-off mark but a minimum score that institutions should not go below. The decisions made at the meeting, endorsed by the Minister of Education, form the guiding norms for admissions and are a collective decision. No institution is expected to begin the admission process until after the policy meeting, and any institution violating these norms will face sanctions.