Days after the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, announced new cut off marks fixed at 120 and 100 for universities and polytechnics respectively, the examination body has revealed the reason for its decision.
The examination board stated that contrary to speculations that it fixed the tertiary institutions minimum admission cut-off marks, the decision as a consensus between all stakeholders in the education sector.
While explaining the new cut off marks announced on Tuesday, JAMB, through its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, insisted that stakeholders in the education sector deemed the cut-off marks fit for entry into universities for the 2017 academic year.
The cut-off mark pegged at 120 however comes lower than the consensus of the previous year which was pegged at 180.
While allaying the fear of Nigerians that the recent move might further deteriorate the standard of education in the country, the examination board’s registrar further stated that besides the recommended cut off marks, individual institutions are free to raise their minimum entry marks but not higher than 180 and lower than 120 for universities.
He said: “With this decision, universities are not to go below the minimum 120 cut-off points adopted by the meeting for admissions.”
Oloyede further stressed the need for flexible cut-off marks for admission process into higher institutions in the country.
He added: “What JAMB did was a recommendation,we only determined the minimum, whatever the various institutions determine as their admission cut-off mark is their decisions. The Senate and academic boards of universities should be allowed to determine their cut-off marks.”