The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially approved the minimum cut-off marks for admission into universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in Nigeria. According to the Registrar of the board, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, the minimum cut-off mark for universities is set at 140, while that for polytechnics and colleges of education is pegged at 100.
The announcement was made by Professor Oloyede during his presentation at the 2023 policy meeting on admission to tertiary institutions in Abuja. The decision regarding the National Tolerable Minimum UTME Score (NTMUS) was reached by stakeholders at the policy meeting.
Professor Oloyede clarified that prior to the meeting, all tertiary institutions had submitted their proposed cut-off marks to the Board. However, no institution will be allowed to set a cut-off mark below what they had initially proposed. Compliance with the agreed-upon minimum points is mandatory for all institutions.
In addition to the cut-off marks, Professor Oloyede emphasized that each tertiary institution must maintain its own minimum standard, particularly regarding institutional screening and grading in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). These standards must not be lowered below 50 marks.
He further reiterated that the minimum point of 140 is sacrosanct and must not be violated, even for the 15 private universities that initially requested a minimum score of 120 to 130. The system will not recognize a score of 139, so strict adherence to the approved minimum point is required.
In terms of the screening process, Professor Oloyede emphasized that institutions must not charge candidates more than N2,000 as screening fees.
