“High UTME scores don’t guarantee admission” — JAMB

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that high scores in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) do not guarantee admission.

Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Board’s Spokesman, highlighted that admission depends on the cutoff marks set by schools and specific departments.

“Admission is contingent upon the cutoff marks set by schools and specific departments. “There is nothing wrong with analyzing the performance of any exercise, but the first issue that one will have to bear in mind is understanding the purpose for which such exercise is undertaken.

He emphasized that the purpose of the exam is to select candidates, not to pass or fail them.

Benjamin explained that while candidates may score below 200 and still be admitted depending on their chosen field and institution, others with scores exceeding 300 may face challenges due to program competitiveness and admission capacity.

“If you look at the statistics that we keep reeling out and discussing out there, you will discover that a reasonable number of these candidates score less than 200 and above. They have not really failed this examination because it depends on what you want to do with such an exercise.

“Our examination, just as I’ve said earlier, is a selection exercise. You can only say a candidate has failed if, in the final analysis, the purpose of such an examination is not achieved, he added.”