There is no published FCE Ididep cut off mark for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for 2027/2028, and an NCE applicant with at least four O’level credits no longer needs a UTME score. Federal College of Education, Ididep runs ECCE as a double major in its own School of Early Childhood Care and Education. JAMB registration and a CAPS offer still apply, and I would apply with credits in both English Language and Mathematics.
2027/2028 update: FCE Ididep admission requirements and JAMB’s entry rules for NCE usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the position on this page is what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. It is based on the college’s 2025/2026 notice, the latest full notice FCE Ididep has published, and on JAMB’s 2026/2027 rules for NCE. If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
Federal College of Education, Ididep is a new federal college in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, near Uyo. Blueprint reported its approval by the Federal Government on 2 July 2023, and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) now lists it as a federal college in Akwa Ibom, marked open. The college has no website I could find, and its admission notices reach candidates through reprints. None of them gives a cut-off mark, a departmental minimum or a screening score for any course, so what follows rests on the Registrar’s 2025/2026 notice, the 2026/2027 announcement, and JAMB’s rules. My advice is labelled as advice.
FCE Ididep cut off mark for Early Childhood Care and Education at a glance
| Item | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| FCE Ididep cut-off or departmental minimum for Early Childhood Care and Education | Not published | No college notice found for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME for NCE applicants | Not needed if you have at least four O’level credit passes | Official (Minister of Education at JAMB’s policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| JAMB registration and CAPS | Still compulsory | Official (same announcement; JAMB NCE registration guide, June 2026) |
| Last national minimum for colleges of education | 100 (2025/2026) | Official (JAMB policy meeting, July 2025) |
| Minimum O’level in the college’s last full notice | Four credits at no more than two sittings, including English (Arts and Social Sciences) or Mathematics (Sciences, Vocational and Technical) | College notice for 2025/2026, signed by the Registrar |
| Early Childhood Care and Education pairings at FCE Ididep | Early Childhood Care and Education (Double Major) | Registrar’s 2025/2026 notice and the 2026/2027 announcement (Myschool, 19 September 2026) |
| JAMB NCE fees | ₦3,500 plus ₦700, and a ₦1,500 or ₦2,000 verification code | Official (JAMB NCE registration guide, June 2026) |
| JAMB deadline for 2026/2027 college of education admissions | 31 December 2026 (runs until that date) | Official (JAMB, reported by NAN) |
| Form fee, screening date, acceptance and school fees | Not published | Ask the admissions office at Ididep |
FCE Ididep Early Childhood Care and Education cut-off history
| Session | Figure | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | No UTME needed | NCE applicants with at least four credit passes were exempted from the UTME; JAMB registration and CAPS still apply | Official federal policy (11 May 2026) |
| 2026/2027 | None set | JAMB announced 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics, with no separate college of education figure | Official (JAMB 2026 policy meeting) |
| 2025/2026 | 100 (2025 UTME) | FCE Ididep’s own notice asked 2025 UTME candidates for 100 or more, the same as JAMB’s national minimum; candidates without a 2025 UTME result but with a valid NIN could also apply | College notice (Registrar, reprinted 26 January 2026); JAMB minimum per Nairametrics, 8 July 2025 |
| Any year | Not published | A departmental figure for a single course | No college document found |
The 2025/2026 notice is useful because it shows how the college thinks. It opened a second route for people who never wrote the 2025 UTME, as long as they had a valid NIN, and it set the O’level floor at four credits. That is the same four-credit line JAMB now uses for the UTME exemption, so the college’s practice and the national policy point the same way.
Do you need JAMB or UTME for Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep?
You need JAMB. You do not need a UTME score if you hold at least four O’level credit passes. These are the official steps behind that answer:
- 11 May 2026: at JAMB’s policy meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said NCE candidates with a minimum of four credit passes would no longer sit the UTME. They still register with JAMB, and CAPS verifies their results before any admission letter is issued. Admissions done outside CAPS were declared illegal.
- June 2026: JAMB’s NCE registration guide set the fees and said there would be no 100 level or 200 level degree admission into any college of education from 2026/2027, affiliated degrees included.
- 23 July 2026: JAMB opened NCE registration without UTME at Institutional Professional Registration Centres (IPRCs) in colleges of education and at JAMB centres.
- Start date: Nairametrics reported on 11 May 2026 that the exemption would start with the 2027 admission cycle, while JAMB’s June guide shows it already working in 2026. Either way, a 2027/2028 NCE applicant registers with JAMB and does not need the UTME.
What JAMB charges for NCE registration
| What you pay | Amount (2026/2027) | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| O’level verification code, one sitting | ₦1,500 | Every NCE applicant, bought from the exam body |
| O’level verification code, two sittings | ₦2,000 | Applicants combining two results |
| JAMB NCE application | ₦3,500 | New NCE applicants who did not register for the UTME |
| Centre or IPRC charge | ₦700 | Every NCE applicant |
| Moving a 2026 UTME registration to NCE | ₦700 only | UTME candidates whose first choice was a college of education |
These are JAMB’s 2026/2027 amounts. Check them at the centre before you pay, because the 2027/2028 guide may change them.
Safe target for Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep (my advice)
This is my own reading as an admissions adviser. FCE Ididep has not published how it ranks applicants. Without a UTME score, a college can only compare people on their O’level results, so your grades in English Language, Mathematics and a spread of other subjects now do the work a UTME score used to do.
| Your O’level position | My read for Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep |
|---|---|
| Fewer than four credits | Not eligible; resit first |
| Four credits, with English but not Mathematics (or the reverse) | May meet the college rule, but the notice does not say which subject this school needs |
| Five credits including English Language and Mathematics | Good position |
| Five or more credits at one sitting, including English, Mathematics and a science | Strong. This is what I would aim for. |
If you also plan to write the 2027 UTME to keep a university option open, aim for 150 or more, the 2026 university minimum. That score is for the university option only; it does not change your NCE application.
UTME subject combination and O’level requirements for Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep
| Requirement | Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep |
|---|---|
| UTME | Not needed for NCE applicants with at least four credit passes (2026 policy) |
| UTME subjects (only if you register for the UTME) | Use of English and three subjects from Arts, Social Sciences or Sciences; ECCE usually accepts a wide spread. This is JAMB’s usual pattern; confirm on the JAMB e-brochure. |
| O’level (the college’s own rule) | At least four credits in relevant subjects at no more than two sittings (SSCE, WAEC, NECO, NABTEB or GCE), including English Language for Arts and Social Sciences courses and Mathematics for Science, Vocational and Technical courses (2025/2026 notice) |
| O’level I would bring | Five credits including English Language and Mathematics, plus any three others |
| Results JAMB accepts | WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS, checked with a verification code from the exam body |
| Awaiting results | A college cannot propose you on CAPS until your result is uploaded |
| Direct Entry or degree entry | None into any college of education from 2026/2027 (JAMB). NCE year one is the only way in |
The college’s floor is four credits, and JAMB’s exemption line is also four credits. Four is the minimum, and many applicants will hold more. I would apply with five credits that include English Language, Mathematics and both subjects of your pairing, because a college that has more qualified applicants than places will usually start with the stronger results.
How ECCE runs at FCE Ididep
ECCE is a double major. You train to teach and care for children from birth to about the early primary years, so you do not pick a second subject. The 2025/2026 notice names English for Arts and Social Sciences and Mathematics for Sciences and Vocational courses, but does not say which applies to the School of Early Childhood Care and Education. I would have credits in both.
| Pairing | Credits I would have besides English |
|---|---|
| Early Childhood Care and Education (Double Major) | Mathematics, plus any three other subjects |
ECCE graduates teach in creches, nursery schools and the early primary classes. Private nursery and primary schools in Uyo and other towns recruit them often.
How FCE Ididep screening and admission work for Early Childhood Care and Education
FCE Ididep has not published a screening date, test, interview or form price that I could find. The 2025/2026 notice listed the courses, the four-credit rule and the change of institution instructions, and left out the form fee and dates. The 2026/2027 announcement (Myschool, 19 September 2026) confirmed that admission had started and listed the courses, but the reprint I read stopped before the requirements and fees. Get the form details from the admissions office at Ididep, or from a notice signed by the Registrar, before paying anybody.
JAMB’s part is fixed. The college’s admission officer proposes candidates on CAPS, the Provost recommends them, and JAMB checks each candidate’s O’level against the exam body’s record with the verification code. Only then does an offer appear on CAPS. If you also registered for the UTME and a college recommends you for NCE, JAMB suspends your UTME process.
Worked example for an Early Childhood Care and Education applicant (illustrative)
FCE Ididep has not published an aggregate formula or ranking method. The people below are made up; the example only shows how to test a result against the credit rules and JAMB’s steps.
Blessing has one WAEC sitting: English Language C5, Mathematics C6, Biology C4, CRS B3, Civic Education B2, Economics D7, Literature in English C6.
- Credit count: English, Mathematics, Biology, CRS, Civic Education and Literature are credits, six in all.
- School rule check: with both English and Mathematics, she is covered whichever rule the school applies.
- Subject check: ECCE does not depend on one subject, so a broad spread works.
- Process: one-sitting verification code (₦1,500), NCE registration with FCE Ididep first (₦3,500 plus ₦700), then CAPS.
Compare Mbuotidem, who has English C5, CRS B3, Civic Education C4 and Government C6 but D7 in Mathematics. She has four credits and may meet the rule, but if the school treats ECCE like a science or vocational course she falls short. A Mathematics resit removes the doubt.
Your chances of admission into Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep
FCE Ididep does not publish intake numbers. ECCE is growing in popularity because nursery education has expanded. A five-credit application with English and Mathematics is what I would bring.
- Put FCE Ididep first: JAMB routes each NCE registration to the first-choice college. The 2025/2026 notice also told UTME candidates who had not chosen FCE Ididep to change their first choice on CAPS and submit the college’s Change of Institution form.
- Pick a pairing the college runs: a combination the college has not listed cannot be offered to you.
- Get the verification code right: CAPS compares it with the exam body’s record, and a mismatch stalls the process.
- Check CAPS every week: JAMB set 31 December 2026 as the deadline for 2026/2027 college of education admissions, and an offer is not yours until you accept it.
How to apply for Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep, step by step
- Get your JAMB profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN.
- Buy your verification code: from WAEC, NECO, NABTEB or NBAIS, for one or two sittings. Copy your exam numbers and grades exactly as printed.
- Register for NCE at an IPRC or JAMB centre: log in with your profile code, choose NCE registration, pay ₦3,500 plus ₦700, and pick Federal College of Education, Ididep as first choice with the Early Childhood Care and Education pairing you want (for example Early Childhood Care and Education (Double Major)).
- Enter your O’level: type in your results and the verification code at the centre. CAPS will check these exact results, so upload them before the college starts proposing candidates.
- Already registered for the UTME? If a college of education was your first choice, JAMB moves your record to NCE and you pay ₦700 only. If your first choice was another school, the college’s 2025/2026 notice said to change it to FCE Ididep and also submit the college’s Change of Institution form.
- Complete the college’s own form if it asks for one: the college has not put an application portal online that I could find. Confirm the price and process at the admissions office at Ididep, and use the same names and results as on your JAMB profile.
- Accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, open Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS, accept and print your JAMB admission letter. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each status.
- Pay acceptance and register: FCE Ididep has not published its acceptance or school fees online. Get the amounts in writing and pay only through the channel the college names.
Warning
Any admission done outside JAMB CAPS is illegal, the Federal Government said in May 2026. If someone offers you an FCE Ididep place that does not show on CAPS, or asks for money to “process” one, do not pay.
Registered for another school? Read JAMB change of institution. For dates, see when JAMB 2027 registration starts; you still register even if you will not write the exam.
Studying NCE Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep
ECCE trains you to teach and care for young children. The college has not published a course outline, so this is what NCE ECCE normally covers under the NCCE minimum standards.
What you study
- Child development: physical, emotional and cognitive growth
- Play, songs, stories and learning materials for young children
- Early literacy and numeracy
- Child health, nutrition and safety
- Methods for nursery and early primary teaching, education courses and teaching practice
Duration, approval and the degree question
The NCE is normally a three-year programme, and nothing in the college’s notices suggests otherwise. NCCE lists FCE Ididep as an open federal college. I could not see NCCE’s programme-by-programme record for a college this new, so the approval status of each course is not confirmed; ask the college for it before you pay acceptance.
When the college was approved in 2023, its pioneer Provost said it would also run first and higher degrees. I found no degree admission at FCE Ididep, and JAMB’s 2026 guide ended new degree admissions into colleges of education anyway. Plan to take a B.Ed or B.Sc (Ed) at a university after your NCE.
Careers
- Teaching: creche, nursery and early primary classes
- Related work: day-care centre management, child care in homes and NGOs
- Teacher registration: register with TRCN after your NCE.
Related FCE Ididep courses
- FCE Ididep Primary Education Studies cut-off mark
- FCE Ididep cut-off mark for English Language Education
- FCE Ididep Social Studies Education cut-off mark
- FCE Ididep admission requirements and full NCE course list
Mistakes that cost Early Childhood Care and Education applicants an FCE Ididep place
- No Mathematics credit: the notice does not say this school is exempt from the Mathematics rule.
- Treating ECCE as a fallback: it is a demanding course with heavy teaching practice.
- Waiting for a UTME score: NCE applicants with four credits do not need one.
- Adding “(Technical)” to the name: the college is Federal College of Education, Ididep. FCE (Technical) Omoku is a different college in Rivers State, so pick Ididep from JAMB’s list instead of typing a name.
- Accepting on CAPS and stopping there: acceptance fee payment and registration at the college are separate steps.
FCE Ididep cut off mark for Early Childhood Care and Education: frequently asked questions
Do I need JAMB to study Early Childhood Care and Education at FCE Ididep? Yes. You register with JAMB and your offer must appear on CAPS, but under the 2026 rules you do not sit the UTME if you have at least four O’level credit passes.
What is the cut off mark for Early Childhood Care and Education in Federal College of Education, Ididep? The college has not published one. Its 2025/2026 notice asked 2025 UTME candidates for 100 or more, the national minimum, and from 2026/2027 NCE applicants with four credits were exempted from the UTME.
What subjects do I need for ECCE at FCE Ididep? At least four credits. The notice does not name the compulsory subject for this school, so I would have English and Mathematics.
Is Early Childhood Care and Education a double major at FCE Ididep? Yes. The 2025/2026 notice lists it as a double major in the School of Early Childhood Care and Education.
Sources and updates
The college’s listing comes from the NCCE list of colleges of education (entry 120, federal, Akwa Ibom, marked open). Its approval, location and pioneer officers are from Blueprint (2 July 2023). The four-credit rule, the 100 mark for 2025 UTME candidates, the non-UTME route and the change of institution instructions are from the Registrar’s 2025/2026 notice as reprinted by Studentship (26 January 2026), and the start of 2026/2027 admission is from Myschool News (19 September 2026). The UTME exemption, the CAPS rule and the warning on admissions outside CAPS are from the News Agency of Nigeria and TheNigeriaLawyer (both 11 May 2026); the 31 December 2026 deadline is from NAN the same day; the 2027 start date is from Nairametrics. Fees, IPRC registration, CAPS proposal, the Awaiting Results rule and the end of degree admissions into colleges of education are from JAMB’s 2026 NCE and ND registration guide, and the opening of registration is from Nairametrics (23 July 2026). The 2025/2026 minimum of 100 is from Nairametrics (8 July 2025). UTME subjects are JAMB’s usual combination and the pairing credits are my advice; neither appears on an FCE Ididep notice. Checked on 3 November 2026. This page will be updated when the college or JAMB publishes the 2027/2028 position.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
