JAMB MAY CANCEL GENERAL CUT OFF MARK FOR JAMBITES

– JAMB has said that it may cancel the use
of general cut-off marks for candidates of the
UTME
– The examination body says the cut-off
marks are currently being subjected to
debates
– JAMB says it is no longer feasible to have
all tertiary institutions have the same

admission cut-off marks
The uniform cut-off points for admitting
candidates that took the Universities Tertiary
Matriculation Examination may be canceled,
says the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB).
Candidates writing the Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination (UTME). Photo: NAN
The issue of cut-off marks as currently being
used for admission, it said, should be
subjected to national debate by stakeholders.
The spokesperson of JAMB, Dr Fabian
Benjamin, gave the indication in a statement
he issued on behalf of its Registrar/Chief
Executive, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, on Sunday
evening in Abuja.

He said a situation where universities,
polytechnics and colleges of education were
subjected to the same cut-off marks was no
longer tenable because it prevented the
institutions from admitting candidates of their
choice.
Tertiary institutions, he sated, should be
allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want to admit.
He added that there was an urgent need to
reconsider the current cut-off point of 180 for
admission in order to strengthen access to
education, particularly for the less-privileged.
Benjamin said: “The uniformity of cut-off
marks doesn’t make any sense when colleges
(of education) and polytechnics admit for
national certificate of education and diplomas,
while universities admit for degrees.
Yet, we subject them to the same cut-off
marks, thereby starving these tiers of
institutions from admitting candidates who, if
not engaged, may likely become easy prey to
social vices.
“This means that if a University wants 250 as
minimum cut-off marks, why not? And if
another wants less so be it. If a Polytechnic
like YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology)
wants 250 as cut-off marks, let them admit
and if Gboko Polytechnic in Benue State where
I come from wants less than 200, let them
admit.
“Institutions should be known for their
individual quality and not collective standards.
This will foster positive competition for the
overall good of our tertiary institutions. It is
critical for all notable stakeholders to rethink
the issue of cut-off marks.

“I am calling for a national debate on the
propriety of cut off marks; institutions should
be allowed to determine the kind of candidates
they want.”
JAMB also expressed worry over the class
opportunities as it affects the distribution of
admission resources.
The organisation said, “The rich have multiple
opportunities which include going abroad for
studies while the poor only have the
opportunity of struggling for the scarce spaces
here.
“They come back and they are integrated
while the poor can’t afford it and are forever
denied the opportunity of education. Let
institutions admit what they want according to
their needs.”
JAMB urged Nigerians to look at the decision
critically for it to take action that would be for
the good of the education sector, The Punch
reports.
In the same vein, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the
registrar of the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB), has revealed that
they have scrapped the use of scratch cards
for any transactions and services.
The reason given for the scrapping was that it
was archaic and subject to fraud. On another
note, the registrar, also demanded that the
federal government should revert to the former
system where serving vice chancellors of
universities were made chairmen of the
governing board of JAMB.
Dr Fabian Benjamin the spokesperson for
JAMB, said, the decision to scrap the use of
scratch cards was announced by the registrar
in Abuja in a paper he delivered during a
meeting of the association of vice chancellors
of Nigerian universities.
In lieu of the scratch cards, the platform of pin
vending will be used, in order to check all
forms of fraudulent practices which was
prevalent with the use of scratch cards.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Thursday,
October 13, extended the validity period of the
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
(JAMB), Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME) to three years against the
present one year.
The extension was sequel to the amendment
of the Act establishing the JAMB and it scaled
through third reading today.
To this end, results obtained from the board
by candidates seeking admission into
universities are expected to last for three
years.
The Senate adopted the recommendation that
the UTME examination should have a validity
period of three years to reduce the financial
burden on parents .