Students writing UTME/JAMB exam

The post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations
(UTME) for candidates seeking admission into
higher institution has been scrapped by the federal
government.
The federal government explained that all tertiary
institutions were at liberty to conduct screening for
candidates seeking admission into any school.
According to The Nation, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the
minister of education, disclosed this on Thursday,
June 2, in Abuja after declaring open the 2016
Combined Policy Meeting on Admissions to
Universities, Polytechnics and other higher
institutions in Nigeria.
Adamu, expressed confidence in the examination
conducted by the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB), adding that there was
no need for other examination to be conducted by
universities after JAMB.
He said: “As far as I am concerned the nation has
confidence in what JAMB is doing. The universities
should not be holding another examination and if the
universities have any complain against JAMB let
them bring it and then we address it.
“If JAMB is qualified enough to conduct tests and
they have conducted test then there will be no need
to conduct another test for students to gain
admission.”
The minister of education has also asked JAMB to
stop extra charges on several categories of
changes on admissions such as the change of
course, change of school and others.
Meanwhile, JAMB has pegged the cut off mark for
admission for 2016 at 180.
The 180 cut off mark, applies to all universities and
higher institutions in the country, including
polytechnics, colleges of education, and others.
Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, JAMB’s Registrar and Chief
Executive Officer, after a long debate with delegates
from various institutions, said that no institution
would go below the 180 cut-off set by the board.

Ojerinde said the reason for this is that the
Computer Based mode of UTME had helped to
completely eradicate examination malpractice.
Post-JAMB tests for applicants was introduced my
many universities and polytechnic before they are
offered admission, irrespective of whether they
passed the JAMB examination, which has attracted
its fair share of criticism as it was described as a
means of extorting money from applicants.