The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Tuesday, August 31, announced the cancellation of the uniform cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions.
JAMB also allowed the institutions freedom to set their individual minimum benchmark for admission.
This was disclosed at the 2021 policy meeting which was held virtually and chaired by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
Speaking during the meeting, the Registrar of JAMB Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said some universities such as the University of Maiduguri proposed 150, Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto proposed 140, Pan Atlantic University proposed 210, University of Lagos 200, Lagos State University 190, Covenant University190, Bayero University Kano, 180.
The stakeholders also approved October 29, 2021, as the deadline for the closure of amendments for 2021 admissions.
On the deadline for the closure of admissions, the stakeholders resolved to allow the ministry to decide as they could not agree on the December 31, 2021, deadline for all public institutions and January 31, 2022, for all public institutions.
Stakeholders also adopted the 2021 admission guidelines, which provide that all applications for part-time or full-time programmes for degrees, NCE, OND, and others must be posted only through JAMB.
The meeting approved that for Direct Entry, DE, the maximum score a candidate can present is 6 and the minimum is 2 or E, as required by law.
Speaking on other admission criteria, he said the candidate’s credentials must be uploaded on CAPS and recommended by the institution, JAMB approves and the candidate accepts the offer of admission.
He said if candidates have not accepted an offer, the institution can change the candidate after informing JAMB.
Also approved at the policy were the guidelines that every institution is at liberty to admit candidates based on its own minimum score approved by the institution and the policy meeting.
The meeting also resolved that every institution should maintain its own minimum score as approved by the policy meeting.
According to the stakeholders, the 2021 admissions will be conducted only through CAPS, no institution is allowed to admit candidates without uploading their details on CAPS.
Oloyede further disclosed that for 2021/2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, the board is introducing two new subjects: computer studies and physical and health education, bringing to a total of 25 subjects.
The stakeholders also exempted prison inmates, visually impaired, and foreign candidates from sitting for post UTME exercise.