JAMB cancels general cut-off mark for admission into schools

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has cancelled general cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions, according to reports just coming in from Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

With the scrapping of the age-long method, each of the nation’s tertiary institutions is now authorised to peg its admission benchmark.

The decision was taken at the 2021 policy meeting which was held virtually, Tuesday, and presided over by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

Already, universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have sent their various cut-off marks to JAMB.

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Speaking during the meeting, the Registrar of JAMB Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said some universities such as University of Maiduguri proposed 150, Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto proposed 140, Pan Atlantic University proposed 210, University of Lagos 200, Lagos State University190, Covenant University190, Bayero University Kano, 180.

The stakeholders also approved October 29, 2021 as deadline for the closure of amendments for 2021 admissions for.

On the deadline for the closure of admissions, the stakeholders resolved to allow the ministry to decide as they could not agree on the December 31, 2021 deadline for all public institutions and January 31st 2022 for all public institutions.

Stakeholders also adopted the 2021 admission guidelines, which provide that all applications for part time or full time programmes for degree, NCE, OND, and others must be posted only through JAMB.

The meeting approved that for Direct Entry, DE, the maximum score a candidate can present is 6 and the minimum is 2 or E, as required by law.

Speaking on other admission criteria, he said the candidate’s credentials must be uploaded on CAPS and recommended by the institution, JAMB approves and the candidate accepts the offer of admission.

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He said if candidates have not accepted an offer, the institution can change the candidate after informing JAMB.

Also approved at the policy were the guidelines that every institution is at liberty to admit candidates based on its own minimum score approved by the institution and the policy meeting.

According to the stakeholders, the 2021 admissions will be conducted only through CAPS, no institution is allowed to admit candidates without uploading their details on CAPS.

Oloyede further disclosed that for 2021/2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, the board is introducing two new subjects: computer studies and physical and health education, bringing to a total of 25 subjects.

On illegal admissions being conducted by some tertiary institutions, the minister expressed concerns that the government’s directive that all admissions should be done through JAMB’s Central Admissions Processing System, CAPS, is being violated.