Just In: JAMB dumps general cut-off marks, grants institutions leeway to set minimum benchmark for admissions

By Ajuma Edwina Ameh

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) says it has abolished the
general cut-off marks hitherto approved for admissions into tertiary institutions in the country.

In place of the general cutoff marks, JAMB has decided to give the various institutions the freedom to set their individual minimum benchmark for admissions.

Persecondnews reports that the decision was reached at the 2021 policy meeting, which was held virtually on Tuesday, and chaired by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.

Addressing the meeting, the newly-reappointed JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said: “Institutions have now been given the liberty to decide cut off marks, there will be no cut off from JAMB.

“Some universities such as University of Maiduguri proposed 150 as cutoff; Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto proposed 140; Pan Atlantic University proposed 210; University of Lagos 200; Lagos State University 190; Covenant University 190; Bayero University Kano 180 respectively.”

The 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, the maximum score a candidate can present is 6 and the minimum is 2 or E, as required by law.

Persecondnews also recalls that in 2020, JAMB in collaboration with Vice-Chancellors of universities, Rectors of Polytechnics and Provosts of Colleges of Education, pegged the minimum cut–off mark at 160 and above for admission into universities, 120 for polytechnics and 100 for colleges of education.