JAMB Registrar Oloyede unveils those Responsible for Fixing Admission Cut-off Marks

Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), clarified that the Board does not determine the so-called cut-off mark, which should more accurately be termed the minimum acceptable admission score.

This clarification was made to address misconceptions suggesting that JAMB sets these scores for individual institutions.

According to JAMB’s bulletin, Oloyede emphasized that it is up to each tertiary institution to establish its own minimum acceptable admission score.

He also noted that policy meetings result in establishing national benchmark minimum acceptable admission scores for entry into higher education across the country.

He explained that the score in question represents the lowest threshold that a candidate must achieve on the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to be eligible for admission into Nigerian higher education institutions.

He emphasized that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) merely communicates this score to the public and ensures that institutions do not set their requirements below this level.

Additionally, he mentioned that this minimum acceptable score serves as a filtering tool to limit applications to a manageable number, allowing candidates to compete for available spots in universities across the country.

He also pointed out that it is incorrect for parents or candidates to assume that achieving this minimum score guarantees automatic admission, clarifying that it is merely a standard and not an assurance of placement, as other factors must also be taken into account.

It is important to note that during the 2024 Policy Meeting on Admissions, attendees agreed on the National Minimum Tolerable UTME Score (NTMUS) for the upcoming admission cycle.

For universities, this score was set at 140, while polytechnics, colleges of education, and innovative enterprise institutions were assigned a score of 100.

The Registrar previously clarified that any institutions suggesting lower minimum scores would need to raise their standards to meet these established thresholds.

He also mentioned that institutions have the freedom to set their acceptable score higher than the established minimum.

Notably, Pan-Atlantic University in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, has set its minimum acceptable score at 220, while several other universities have chosen a threshold of 200.

Nonetheless, according to the sanctioned minimum tolerable scores of 140 and 100, no institution is permitted to establish scores lower than these designated levels for their respective categories.