Despite Recent Admission Policy, These Nigerian Institutions Will Not Change Their Traditional Cut-Off Marks

On Tuesday the 11th of June, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) held its 19th Policy Meeting on Admission at the Bola Babalakin Auditorium, Gbongan in Osun State, where new cut-off marks were fixed for Nigerian students trying to be admitted into tertiary institutions.

A score of 160 was approved as the minimum benchmark for admission into public institutions while 140 was set for private institutions, in an examination with the maximum score of 400.

The policy meeting, which was presided by the JAMB Registrar, Isaq Oloyede, and was attended by some stakeholders in the education sector, also approved a minimum of 120,110 and 100 for public polytechnics, private polytechnics and colleges of education, respectively.

Understandably, the new cut-off marks were met with criticism.

One of the considerations that are put in place when determining cut-off marks is the pass rate and, in the breakdown done by JAMB registrar, Isaq Oloyede, less than 30 percent of the candidates in the last few years scored at least average – which is 200. But, over 70 percent of participants scored at least 160, which is the new minimum mark.

However, top Nigerian institutions have reacted to the new benchmark by revealing their own minimum cut-off marks, which are the same as before.

For example, the University of Ibadan released a statement noting that the university will be sticking with its traditional minimum of 200.

“For the avoidance of doubt in the minds of our prospective admission seekers, their parents and guardians, our alumni and alumnae and the general public, the minimum mark for any course at the University of Ibadan and all its Affiliated Institutions, remains 200 out of a maximum of 400. This has been the position of the Senate of the University since the matriculation examinations into Nigerian Universities commenced in 1978,” the statement clarified.

The Secretary to the Registrar of the Obafemi Awolowo University also noted that the institution will stick with its traditional minimum mark, 200. The Principal Assistant Registrar, Communication Unit, University of Lagos – Mrs. Taiwo Oloyede, told this correspondent that the institution is continuing with 200 as well.

“The cut-off mark for Unilag remains 200,” she said.

Adegbenro Adebanjo, the Public Relations Officer for the Federal University of Technology, Akure, also told this correspondent that although the institution has not fixed its cut-off mark, he is sure that they will not go with JAMB’s minimum cut-off.

Other top institutions are yet to react to JAMB’s new provisions.