Meeting the cut-off mark is a requirement for admission to any course in a university, polytechnic, or other tertiary institution.
Like you, when I heard about the cut-off mark in 2012 when I sat for my first JAMB examination, I was confused and wondered what it was and how it was determined.
In this post, I will explain how the cut-off mark is determined for all courses at the tertiary institutions, and how you can ensure you get admission to study your desired course.
Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or need further clarification. I would love to hear from you.
Table of contents
Cut Off Mark
Cut-off mark is the minimum average score required by an applicant to be considered for admission in a tertiary institution such as a university, polytechnic, school of nursing, etc. It is used to determine students eligible for admission to a specific course.
The cut-off mark is graded over 400, 100 or 50, depending on the school you’re applying to for admission. For example, the cut-off mark for Medicine and Surgery at UNN could be 320, and Law is 315.
This score is based on the aggregate score of students, so it varies every year depending on the performance of students in the JAMB and Post UTME examinations.
Types of Cut Off Mark
There are two types of cut-off marks;
- General JAMB Cut-off Mark
- Institutional Cut-off Mark
- Departmental Cut-off Mark
1. General JAMB Cut Off Mark
The general JAMB cut-off mark is the score set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board for admission across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This score is fixed yearly based on the performance of students in the UTME examination.
Here is an example of what the general cut-off mark looks like;
- University = 140
- Polytechnic = 120
- College of Education = 100
- School of Nursing = 100
- College of Health Technology = 100
Note that a school can decide to set its cutoff mark above the general cutoff mark, but it can never go below the score.
2. Institutional Cut-off Mark
The institutional cut-off mark is the minimum score set by schools that prospective students must meet to gain admission to the institution.
For example, UNIBEN can set their Post UTME cut-off mark to be 200. It means that for you to be able to purchase the school form and sit for the screening exam, you must have a JAMB score of 200 or above.
You must not confuse this score with the admission cut-off mark because having the score in our example above does not guarantee your admission.
3. Departmental Cut-off Mark
The departmental cut-off mark is the minimum score you must have to gain admission to a particular course at a tertiary institution. It is based on the performance of applicants in both the JAMB and Post UTME exams or online screening.
For this cut-off mark, a ranking system based on the score of every applicant is used to determine the score.
For example, let’s say 500 students applied for Chemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), and the department has an admission quota of 50.
UNIPORT will rank all 500 students from highest to lowest. If the 50th person with the highest aggregate score has 248. The score 248 automatically becomes the cut-off mark for Chemical Engineering. Every applicant with 248 and above will gain admission to the department.
Conclusion
Remember, meeting the JAMB cut-off is just the first hurdle. Your performance in post-UTME screenings, O’level grades, and the competitiveness of your chosen course and institution all play significant roles in securing admission.
The key takeaway is to always aim higher than the minimum to increase your chances, and diligently research the specific requirements of your desired universities and programs.
Don’t let the numbers discourage you. Instead, let them be a guide. With thorough preparation, strategic course selection, and a clear understanding of the admission process, you can confidently pursue your academic dreams. Good luck with your applications!
