Muscat: The preference amendment phase for registration and admission for the 2025/2026 academic year will commence tomorrow, Tuesday, and run until Thursday, July 31.
The results of the first sorting will be announced on the evening of Tuesday, August 19, and successful candidates will be able to complete their processes between Tuesday, August 19, and noon on Sunday, August 24.
According to Ahmed Mohammed Al Azri, Director General of the Higher Education Admission Centre (HEAC) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, the number of available places received from government higher education institutions, domestic scholarships, private sector grants for private higher education institutions, and external scholarships and grants from Arab countries for the 2025/2026 academic year is 29,252.
Of these, 16,884 seats are in different government higher education institutions, 607 are for foreign scholarships and grants, and 11,761 are for domestic scholarships and grants for study at private universities and colleges in the Sultanate of Oman.
He noted that the preference modification phase is one of the most important aspects of registration, as it allows students to complete their program selections in the system prior to the initial sorting competition. He emphasized that this year's updates are focused on two primary areas: entrance processes and academic programs.
In terms of admission processes, the institution will implement a self-funded admission system this year to govern student admissions to Sultan Qaboos University on a selffinanced basis, in addition to educational specialty programs at private higher education institutions in Oman (Sohar University, Nizwa University, Dhofar University, and the University of Al Sharqiyah).
The center has published a student handbook with all of the information you need to know about this approach, to coincide with the preference modification phase. After the first sorting, registration under this procedure will be available.
Furthermore, he stated that modifications to the Unified Admission System include the creation of a complaint submission service on the Unified Government Services Portal, demonstrating the government's commitment to enabling access to eservices and simplifying transactions through a single platform.
He stated that scholarship providers have modified their programs to match labor market demands. Dhofar University has introduced new domestic scholarship programs for bachelor's degrees in Emergency Medical Services Science, Environmental Management and Practices, and Human Medicine.
Domestic scholarships have also been established to enable youngsters with learning disabilities to attend private higher education institutions.
Al Azri stated that new external scholarships have been created for specializations supervised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation's External Scholarships Department, including Healthcare, Health Planning, Health Risk Management, Therapeutic Nutrition, Law, and Actuarial Studies.
He stated that the ministry, through the Domestic Scholarships Department, has also awarded scholarships for high-demand specializations in the job market, such as Process Engineering, Production Operations, Occupational Health and Safety, Welding, Mining, Renewable Energy, Quality Control Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Legal Assistant Studies. Furthermore, the Oman Aviation Academy has established new professional diploma scholarships for Air Transport Pilot Licenses.
He noticed that public higher education institutions have increased their offerings and specializations. This year, the Military Technological College has expanded its capacity by accepting female applicants in a variety of engineering disciplines (keeping in mind that these programs do not guarantee employment).
The University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) has introduced a new engineering specialization at its campus in Musandam Governorate. The university has also developed a benefit for social security family students, allowing them to apply to engineering programs without having set places; if admitted, they may select the nearest campus to their home.
He clarified that the Higher Education Admission Centre had already published the trial sorting results this month, highlighting some common errors among applicants. Al Azri underlined that students may escape these errors, which reduce their chances of admission—particularly for high-achieving students.
According to the trial sorting results, 1,936 students with an 80% grade or above did not receive a preliminary program offer. 76% of them had expressed too few preferences, concentrating on highly competitive, restricted specializations.
Furthermore, 247 pupils with a grade of 90% or higher did not receive a initial offer, with 84% of them listing fewer than 30 selections. This emphasizes the importance of students expanding their program options and varying their selections across institutions and fields.
In conclusion, Al Azri encouraged students to maximize their program choices (if they meet admission requirements) and rank them according to preference to increase their chances of obtaining a place. He also emphasized the need of varied alternatives across institutions and specialities, and urged people to visit the center's website for updates on registration and admission processes.
