Sunday 19 / July / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Education has announced the commencement of the preference modification period for General Education Diploma students for the academic year 2025/2026 through the electronic system of the Higher Education Admission Centre, running from 21 July to 1 August.
The Ministry confirmed the readiness of 47 technical support centers across various educational directorates in the governorates to provide technical support services, as well as professional and academic counseling to students and their parents during this crucial phase.
Additionally, 48 technical support centers have been established at the Career Guidance and Student Counseling Centre, distributed across the various educational directorates in the governorates. This aims to offer technical support and answer inquiries related to registration and preference modification, alongside providing professional and academic counseling that assists students in selecting the appropriate academic programmes.
The Ministry clarified that the preference modification period represents an opportunity for students to review their academic programs and rearrange their academic choices in a manner that aligns with their inclinations, abilities, and future aspirations. It also allows them to benefit from the educational opportunities available at higher education institutions, thereby contributing to making informed future academic and professional decisions.
The Ministry indicated that the preference modification period constitutes one of the important stages in the admission pathway to higher education institutions. It grants students the opportunity to review their academic choices in light of their final results and rearrange them according to their priorities and future plans. It also provides an electronic environment that contributes to facilitating the registration and preference modification procedures, enabling students to utilize the designated period for this purpose.
Sheikh Yaqoub Saif Al Shahimi, Director General of the Career Guidance and Student Counseling Centre, explained that the technical support centers are among the services implemented by the Ministry to support General Education Diploma students during the preference modification period. Their services are supervised by career guidance specialists and professionals in the career guidance departments within the educational directorates to provide the necessary support and guidance to students and their parents, and to assist them in understanding the available educational choices and the mechanisms for arranging preferences in a well-considered manner.
He pointed out that the centers provide an integrated environment combining technical support with professional and academic counseling, which contributes to enabling students to make educational decisions that align with their interests, abilities, and future opportunities. He affirmed that the geographical distribution of the centers took into consideration facilitating access to services across the various governorates.
The Ministry of Education called upon General Education Diploma students and their parents to benefit from the services of the technical support centers during the preference modification period and to review the academic programs carefully before confirming them, thereby supporting the building of educational and professional pathways that are commensurate with their future aspirations.
