The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reaffirmed that getting a excessive rating within the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) might not robotically assure admission into Nigerian universities.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, who disclosed this in a press release issued on Sunday, February 9, 2025, pressured that admission choices are based mostly on a number of components, together with candidates’ O’degree outcomes, UTME scores, and post-UTME efficiency.
“A excessive UTME rating alone doesn’t safe admission. Universities think about varied standards, together with rating based mostly on advantage, catchment areas, and quotas for Educationally Much less Developed States (ELDS),” the assertion learn.
JAMB’s response follows rising issues from candidates and fogeys who allege that universities are denying admission to college students regardless of their excessive UTME scores.
Whereas citing a latest case, the board addressed the criticism of a mum or dad, Godwin Nsan, who accused the College of Calabar of unfairly rejecting his son.
JAMB’s investigation revealed that the candidate, regardless of scoring 201 in UTME, had an mixture rating of 34 per cent, which was beneath the college’s minimal cut-off marks of 55 per cent for merit-based admission and 35 per cent for different classes.
Equally, one other candidate who scored 345 in UTME accused the College of Jos (UniJos) of denying him admission.
Nevertheless, after a evaluate at JAMB’s headquarters, it was revealed that the candidate ranked 86th, whereas the college might solely admit 68 candidates on advantage. The candidate’s father, after receiving the reason, acknowledged the method and apologised.
“In some universities, a UTME rating of 345 should rank a candidate as little as 300, relying on the establishment’s capability and competitors,” JAMB famous.
JAMB urged mother and father and candidates to grasp the holistic admission course of relatively than assuming {that a} excessive UTME rating ensures a spot of their most popular establishments.
“Admission is aggressive, and establishments should adhere to a structured rating course of. We advise mother and father to hunt clarification by means of the suitable channels as a substitute of constructing unfounded allegations,” JAMB acknowledged.
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The board additionally reminded candidates that they may problem admission choices by means of its official ‘ticketing platform,’ which permits for inquiries and appeals.
In the meantime, JAMB disclosed {that a} senior college official is at the moment being prosecuted for alleged admission-related offences, with 4 others beneath investigation.
The board reiterated its zero-tolerance coverage on admission irregularities, assuring Nigerians that it stays dedicated to a good and clear choice course of whereas taking motion in opposition to any establishment or particular person discovered participating in questionable practices.
