JAMB Tells Candidates Not To Rely On Cut-Off Mark To Gain Admission

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has told candidates jubilating for meeting its set benchmark for admission into tertiary institutions not to rely on the cut-off point.

JAMB said meeting its cut-off mark was not a guarantee for admission,explaining that there were other different factors for consideration for admission.

Its Head, Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who made the clarification yesterday in Abuja, said the UTME mark was not the sole determinant for placement of candidates in tertiary institutions.

The spokesman said “The undue attention to the so-called national minimum UTME score (UTME cut-off point), is a major source of failure of many ill-informed candidates who assumed that they have finally attained the benchmark having achieved the so called minimum national score or “cut off point’ for admission.”

He said even with its benchmark, “No uniform minimum UTME score (cut/off) for all universities, polytechnics or college of education as each institution determines and submits to JAMB its minimum UTME score; after having analyzed the UTME performances of its applicants against its available quota.”

JAMB said,”There is a layer of misconceptions on what is generally described as “uniform minimum national UTME score” for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”

“For long, many candidates and some members of the general public have come under erroneous impression that there is a minimum national UTME score, which they also refer to as “cut -off point”.

According to JAMB, “It is therefore a double jeopardy for many candidates who swallow the popular myth that there is a uniform UTME score (cut-off) for all Universities, Polytechnics or Colleges of Education in Nigeria.”

“The myth also incorporates the erroneous impression that it is only the UTME score that constitutes the benchmark for admission.

“These are far from the truth. Such candidates on attainment of particular grade in UTME celebrate in advance their imminent placements, which in reality may not be at the end of the day,” it added.