Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu (ASCETA) has not published a cut-off mark for Physical and Health Education, and for 2027/2028 you may not need a UTME score at all. At JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026, the Minister of Education said NCE candidates with at least four O’level credit passes no longer have to sit the UTME, though they must still register with JAMB and be admitted through CAPS. The last national minimum for colleges of education was 100, set for 2025/2026.
2027/2028 update: ASCETA admission requirements usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the rules on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official notices (JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting and the college’s 2025/2026 NCE advert). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
So the real ASCETA cut off mark for Physical and Health Education is your O’level. Below you will find the official national figures, the course name JAMB uses for ASCETA, the subjects to have, a safe target score if you still write the UTME (my advice), how the college’s admission has run, a worked example and the CAPS steps.
ASCETA cut off mark for Physical and Health Education at a glance
| Item | Position for 2027/2028 planning | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ASCETA cut-off mark for Physical and Health Education | Not published | No ASCETA notice found for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME for NCE candidates | Not required with at least four O’level credits; JAMB registration still compulsory | Official (2026 JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| JAMB minimum for colleges of education | 100 in 2025/2026; none announced for 2026 | Official (JAMB policy meetings) |
| Course name on JAMB’s list for ASCETA | Physical And Health Education (Double Major) | Listed (Myschool reprint of JAMB’s course list) |
| School | School of Science Education | ASCETA 2025/2026 NCE advert, as reported by Myschool |
| Duration | 3 years | Usual NCE length; not confirmed on an ASCETA page |
| Form fee, screening dates, acceptance fee | Not published | No ASCETA figure found |
ASCETA Physical and Health Education cut-off history
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 | 100 | JAMB national minimum UTME score for colleges of education | Official (2025 JAMB policy meeting, reported by Nairametrics, 8 July 2025) |
| 2026/2027 | No college of education minimum announced | JAMB set 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics, and exempted NCE candidates with at least four credits from the UTME | Official (2026 JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 | Not published | An ASCETA cut-off of its own for Physical and Health Education | No ASCETA notice found |
ASCETA has never put out a departmental figure for Physical and Health Education that I could find. Blogs that print one are guessing. If a figure appears on an official ASCETA notice for 2027/2028, I will add it here.
Do you need JAMB for Physical and Health Education at ASCETA in 2027?
Yes, you need JAMB registration. Whether you also need a UTME score depends on your O’level. These points come from JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting and the press reports of it:
- At the meeting, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said NCE candidates with at least four credit passes will no longer be required to sit the UTME.
- JAMB’s own post on X put it more widely: candidates for education programmes and for agriculture non-engineering courses are exempted from the UTME.
- You still deal with JAMB. Alausa said exempt candidates must register with JAMB, and their credentials are screened, verified and certified on CAPS before any admission letter is issued.
- Nairametrics reported that the change takes effect from the 2027 admission cycle, which is the cycle 2027/2028 candidates belong to. TheNigeriaLawyer’s report of the same meeting did not give a start date, so read JAMB’s 2027 registration notice for the exact procedure.
- Universities and polytechnics are not covered. Nairametrics reported that the UTME stays compulsory for similar courses there, so a candidate who also wants a degree place still has to write it.
- JAMB’s June 2026 NCE registration guide sets the fees: ₦1,500 for a one-sitting verification code (₦2,000 for two sittings), ₦3,500 for the application and ₦700 at the accredited centre, after which the Provost recommends candidates on CAPS.
For Physical and Health Education this is good news. NCE courses were already admitted at the lower college of education benchmark (100 in 2025/2026), and under the new route your O’level carries the application. I would still register early, because JAMB registration remains the door into CAPS.
Safe target score for Physical and Health Education at ASCETA (my advice)
This is my judgement as an admissions adviser, not an ASCETA rule. It is for candidates who still sit the UTME, for example because they also want a university place or because the exemption has not reached their registration.
| Your UTME score | My read for NCE Physical and Health Education at ASCETA |
|---|---|
| Below 100 | Below the last college of education minimum (2025/2026). Use the no-UTME route with at least four credits, or rewrite. |
| 100 to 139 | Meets the old college of education minimum. Fine for NCE, too low for most university courses. |
| 140 to 159 | Comfortable for NCE, and close to the 150 university minimum. |
| 160 and above | Keeps both options open: NCE at ASCETA and a degree in a related course at a university. |
Whatever your UTME position, I would go in with five credits in one sitting, including English, Mathematics and Biology. Four credits meets the exemption rule, but colleges have usually asked for five, and ASCETA has not published anything lower.
UTME subjects and O’level requirements for Physical and Health Education at ASCETA
| Requirement | Physical and Health Education at ASCETA |
|---|---|
| Course name on JAMB | Physical And Health Education (Double Major) |
| UTME subjects (if you sit) | Use of English, Biology and two other subjects, commonly chosen from Chemistry, Physics, Physical Education, Health Education or Economics. This is JAMB’s usual pattern; confirm on the JAMB e-brochure. |
| O’level | Usual NCE pattern: five credits including English Language, Mathematics and Biology, with Chemistry, Physical Education or Health Education as useful extras. ASCETA has not published its own list. |
| Sittings | Not more than two is the usual NCE rule; unconfirmed for ASCETA |
| UTME exemption | At least four credit passes (2026 policy) |
| Fitness test or practical | None published |
| Direct Entry | JAMB Direct Entry is for degree courses. No direct entry into NCE year two has been published by ASCETA. |
“Double Major” on JAMB’s list means Physical and Health Education takes both of your NCE subject slots. You do not pair it with a second subject the way a Biology/Chemistry student does, so all your teaching subject courses will be in PHE.
ASCETA places the course in its School of Science Education, next to Biology and Chemistry. That is why I treat Biology and Mathematics as the two credits you should not go without, even though the college has not printed a subject list.
How ASCETA admission screening works for Physical and Health Education
ASCETA has not published a screening fee, a test date or an aptitude test for any NCE course in the sources I could reach. This is what is on record:
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Latest regular NCE advert | 2025/2026 session, reported by Myschool on 4 January 2026, inviting applications across the School of General Education, School of Science Education and School of Vocational and Technical Education |
| Sandwich and part-time NCE | A blog reported in May 2026 that a 2025/2026 form for these modes was open. Not confirmed on an ASCETA notice. |
| Form fee | Not published |
| Where to apply | ASCETA’s website is asceta.edu.ng. The application page address was not confirmed. |
| Test or interview | Not published |
| Admission list | Offers must appear on JAMB CAPS, as for every tertiary admission |
ASCETA’s 2025/2026 advert was reported in January 2026, months after most universities had finished screening. Do not assume ASCETA’s form has closed just because university Post-UTME forms have.
Worked example for a Physical and Health Education applicant
ASCETA has not published how it ranks NCE applicants. The example below is illustrative only: it uses a simple grade-point scale (A1 = 6, B2 = 5, B3 = 4, C4 = 3, C5 = 2, C6 = 1) to show how a college could compare O’level results when there is no UTME score.
Take Chidinma, who has one WAEC sitting: English C5, Mathematics C6, Biology B3, Chemistry C6, Civic Education B2, Economics D7.
- Exemption check: she has five credits (D7 does not count), so she clears the four-credit rule and does not need the UTME under the new route.
- Core subjects: English, Mathematics and Biology are all credits. Nothing rules her out.
- Illustrative points: English 2 + Mathematics 1 + Biology 4 + Chemistry 1 = 8 out of a possible 24 in the four science-side subjects.
- What I would advise: apply, and use a NECO or GCE sitting to lift Mathematics or Chemistry if the college’s screening turns out to rank on grades.
Compare Ifeanyi: English C6, Biology C5, Economics C4, Civic Education C4, Mathematics D7. He has four credits, enough for the exemption, but no Mathematics credit. If ASCETA follows the usual NCE pattern for a science-school course, that missing credit is what would stop him, so he should rewrite Mathematics before applying.
Your chances of getting Physical and Health Education at ASCETA
ASCETA has not published how many Physical and Health Education places it has or how many people apply. What is clear is that colleges of education have admitted at a lower benchmark than universities (100 against 150 in the last year a college minimum was set), and the 2026 policy removes the UTME barrier for most NCE candidates. In practice, your O’level grades and getting your papers onto CAPS on time decide most cases.
- Get the course name right: pick the exact JAMB listing, Physical And Health Education (Double Major), so CAPS matches your ASCETA form.
- Fix weak credits before applying: a C6 in Biology passes, but it leaves you nothing in reserve if the college ranks results.
- Apply even if you register late: ASCETA’s last advert came out in January, after most university screenings had closed.
- Keep a degree plan in view: if you also want Human Kinetics or Health Education at a university, you still need the UTME and at least 150.
How to apply for Physical and Health Education at ASCETA, 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.
- Register with JAMB: choose ASCETA and the course as JAMB lists it (Physical And Health Education (Double Major)). If you qualify for the no-UTME route, follow JAMB’s 2027 instructions for exempt NCE candidates; if you sit the UTME, use the subject combination above.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at a JAMB office or accredited centre. Under the 2026 policy, your credentials are what CAPS screens, so a missing or wrong upload can stop your admission.
- Buy and fill ASCETA’s admission form: watch the college website and its official notices for the 2027/2028 advert, then fill the form with the same names and results as on your JAMB profile. Print your acknowledgement slip.
- Follow the screening instructions: attend any credential check or test the advert names, with your original results, JAMB registration slip, birth certificate or declaration of age and passport photographs.
- Accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS. Accept the offer if it is the course you want; reject it only if you are sure.
- Pay acceptance and register: ASCETA has not published its acceptance or school fees in any source I reached. Pay only through the channel on the college’s official admission letter or portal, then print your JAMB admission letter for clearance.
Warning
Every genuine NCE offer shows on JAMB CAPS, including offers made through the new no-UTME route. Do not pay anyone who promises you a place at ASCETA outside CAPS, and pay college fees only through the channel the college itself publishes.
Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each admission status, and JAMB change of institution covers how to move your choice to ASCETA if you registered for another school.
Studying Physical and Health Education at ASCETA
ASCETA is a state-owned college of education founded in 1993 at Arochukwu, Abia State. Physical and Health Education sits in its School of Science Education. The course trains you to teach physical education and school health, so expect science lectures as well as time on the field.
What you study
- Human anatomy and physiology as they apply to exercise and growth
- Skills and coaching in sports such as athletics and ball games
- Health education: first aid, safety, personal and community health and nutrition
- Planning physical education lessons and organising school sports
- Teaching practice in a school, which every NCE student completes
Duration, accreditation and the degree route
- Duration: NCE programmes normally run for three years, including teaching practice. ASCETA’s own course page was not available to confirm this.
- Accreditation: NCE programmes are regulated by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). The NCCE accreditation status of Physical and Health Education at ASCETA is not confirmed, so ask the department before you pay acceptance.
- Degree route: ASCETA is affiliated to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, and Abia State University for B.Ed degrees, according to its Wikipedia entry. The list of degree subjects was not available, so ask the college which B.Ed courses it runs.
- Leadership: Gazette Nigeria reported in May 2025 that the then provost had been suspended and a probe panel set up, so check the college’s current notices for the officers who sign admission letters.
Careers
- Physical and health education teacher in primary and junior secondary schools
- School sports organiser or games teacher
- Coaching and fitness instruction
- Health education work in community programmes
- Further study for a degree in Human Kinetics, Health Education or a related course
Related ASCETA courses
- ASCETA cut-off mark for Biology Education
- ASCETA Chemistry Education cut-off mark
- ASCETA Home Economics Education cut-off mark
- ASCETA Agricultural Science Education cut-off mark
If you will still write the UTME, start with our JAMB Biology syllabus and JAMB Chemistry syllabus.
Mistakes that cost Physical and Health Education applicants an ASCETA place
- Thinking PHE is only sport: it is a science-school course with anatomy and physiology, so a weak Biology result hurts.
- Skipping JAMB registration because of the exemption: without it, CAPS cannot process your admission.
- Choosing a different course name on JAMB: use the Double Major listing for ASCETA.
- O’level not uploaded to CAPS: under the new route, your credentials are what JAMB screens.
- Paying agents for a place: offers come through CAPS only.
- Accepting on CAPS and stopping there: acceptance fee payment and clearance at the college are separate steps.
If you are planning for 2027, read when JAMB 2027 registration starts so you register on time, even if you will not write the exam.
ASCETA Physical and Health Education cut off mark: frequently asked questions
Do I need JAMB to study Physical and Health Education at ASCETA in 2027? You need JAMB registration, but not necessarily the UTME. Under the 2026 policy, NCE candidates with at least four credit passes are exempt from the exam and are admitted through CAPS.
What is the ASCETA cut off mark for Physical and Health Education? ASCETA has not published one. The last national minimum for colleges of education was 100 (2025/2026), and no college of education minimum was set in 2026.
Can I study Physical and Health Education at ASCETA without Mathematics? ASCETA has not published its subject list, but the course is in the School of Science Education and the usual NCE pattern asks for a Mathematics credit. I would not apply without one.
How many years is NCE Physical and Health Education at ASCETA? NCE programmes normally take three years, including teaching practice. ASCETA’s own course page was not available to confirm this.
Sources and updates
The list of NCE departments by school comes from Myschool’s report of ASCETA’s 2025/2026 admission advert (4 January 2026); the official notice itself could not be opened. The course names as JAMB holds them for ASCETA come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB course list for the college. The UTME exemption for NCE candidates with at least four credit passes, the JAMB registration and CAPS rules and Dr Alausa’s remarks come from TheNigeriaLawyer (11 May 2026); the 2027 start of the exemption, the 150 and 100 benchmarks and the absence of a 2026 college of education minimum come from Nairametrics (11 May 2026). The 2025/2026 minimum of 100 is from Nairametrics (8 July 2025). The founding year, location and B.Ed affiliations are from Wikipedia. The sandwich and part-time report is from the AbSApp blog (24 May 2026) and is unconfirmed. The provost report is from Gazette Nigeria (20 May 2025). Subject combinations are JAMB’s usual ones for this course and should be confirmed on the JAMB e-brochure; the O’level rules are the usual NCE pattern, not an ASCETA notice. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated when ASCETA publishes its 2027/2028 advert.
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.
