JAMB Announces 2023 Cut-off Marks for Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the minimum scores required for candidates to gain admission into various tertiary institutions in Nigeria for the 2023/2024 academic session.

According to the board, candidates who wish to study in universities must score at least 160 points in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Candidates who wish to study in polytechnics and colleges of education must score at least 100 points in the UTME.

The Policy Meeting on Admissions

These cut-off marks were decided during the 2023 Policy Meeting on Admissions to Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, which was held at the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

The meeting was chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejoh. It was attended by heads of tertiary institutions, JAMB officials and other stakeholders in the education sector.

The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, explained that the cut-off marks were the minimum criteria for admission, but they did not mean that institutions must comply with them.

He said: “Any institution interested in conducting any form of screening could do so, but the charge for the screening should not exceed N2,000 only. It is not allowed for any institution to make candidates directly or indirectly incur further related expenses on screening exercises, such as administrative and bank charges.”

He added: “JAMB will provide for free, to all institutions access to photo images and fingerprint data of candidates, in order to curb the substitution of candidates who sat for the examinations.”

The Implications of the Cut-off Marks

The cut-off marks imply that candidates who scored below 160 points in the UTME will not be eligible for admission into universities. Similarly, candidates who scored below 100 points will not be eligible for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education.

However, Oloyede clarified that these were the minimum scores and that institutions had the liberty to raise their cut-off marks higher than the agreed benchmark.

He said: “Anything we decide here will become the minimum. What it means is that nobody can go below it.” He also noted that some universities had already requested for higher cut-off marks than 160 points.

Therefore, candidates are advised to check the specific cut-off marks of their preferred institutions before applying for admission. They are also advised to prepare well for any screening exercise that may be conducted by their chosen institutions.

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