125 Candidates With High Scores Denied Admissions – JAMB

A total of 125 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry examinations candidates who scored 300 and above in 2021 did not gain admission into tertiary institutions, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.

The figure is based on the admission statistics prepared by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for the period under review.

Sunday PUNCH reports that while tertiary institutions are at liberty to determine their respective cut-off marks for admission, there is a widely held belief that candidates who score higher marks have advantages over those with poor UTME scores.

According to the statistics obtained from the board by punch correspondent on Saturday, a total of 715 candidates scored 300 and above in the 2021 examinations.

Out of the 715, JAMB noted that only 590 were admitted, while out of the 125 who were denied admissions, JAMB noted that 35 of them applied for Medicine.

A total of 64 applied for Engineering-related courses; one for education; 18 for Science-related courses.

Furthermore, the board also revealed that while four of the candidates applied for programmes under the social sciences; only three applied for courses under admissions.

Commenting on the development, the board blamed certain factors on the non-admission status of the 125 high scorers.

“No Mathematics in UTME combination disadvantages Medicine candidates; English & Literature in UTME combination helping law candidates to be admitted into English, Mass Communication, etc.

The board also noted that some candidates did not upload their O’Level results on CAPS.

It however stated that, “sensitization of candidates to upload O’ level results on CAPS is yielding results”.

Meanwhile, JAMB on Saturday published some of the guidelines for the 2022/2023 admissions.

Some of the guidelines, which were obtained from the website of the board, partly reads, “Every institution is at liberty to determine the minimum UTME score acceptable to it for admission.

“Similarly, for DE, each institution will determine the number of points required by it for direct entry admission. Nevertheless, no institution can recommend or admit any candidate with less than two points for direct entry.

“No institution will be allowed to recommend or admit any candidate whose UTME score is below the threshold of 140 and 100 for Degree and ND/NCE, respectively.

“No institution is allowed to recommend or admit any candidate whose total score is below the minimum score proposed by the Institution and approved by the Policy Meeting. The totality of all scores being used for the ranking of the candidate shall be taken into account in determining the percentage minimum score”.