In the 2016/2017 university admission season the story went viral on the internet about a young lady who scored 320/400 in her UTME but failed to make the merit list to study Medicine and Surgery at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
Her inability to make the merit list for medicine and surgery in OAU with her high UTME score can be understood when you consider the new JAMB admission rules where a candidate’s total score is an aggregate of their O-level results and their UTME score.
In the new JAMB admission rules released in 2016, O-level results are weighted to make up 40% of the total score while the UTME make up the remaining 60% of the total score. So, the young lady who scored 320/400 in her UTME was let down by her O-level aggregate score.
To make the merit list for Medicine and Surgery at the University of Lagos (Unilag) with 320/400 in 2016 a candidate would have required an O-level aggregate of 30/40. This can be interpreted as having an O-level result of 2 As, 2 Bs and 1 C in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics at one sitting.
The new JAMB admission rules mean that O-level results have been given more importance. It implies that making the minimum credit pass in the required five subjects at one sitting my no longer suffice especially for highly competitive courses like Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Engineering, Computer Science, Law, English Language, Mass Communication, Architecture, Accounting, Business Administration, and Economics. The candidate should aim for A1s in their O-levels to stand a better chance of gaining admission into a University in Nigeria.
Equally important is that applicants must have the proper subject combination in their O-levels and their UTME for a successful admission application. For instance, many applicants do not know that Further Mathematics is a requirement to study Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics in most Nigerian universities, just as Literature in English is a requirement for Law, English Language, and Mass Communication.
Without the proper subject combination, even with high O-level and UTME scores, a school can deny admission to an applicant. Therefore, the application process is a very important one and parents, guardians, teachers and the candidates must have the right information to make good choices for the applicant.
When a course of study has been identified it is important that:
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The right O-level and UTME subject combination is selected;
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The candidate should know what O-level results they need for a successful application;
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The candidate should know what UTME score they need for their course;
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The candidate should know what school options are at their disposal and which ones would favour them more than others.
Finally, candidates, parents, guardians and teachers must be honest with the candidate and make realistic choices based on the ability and capability of the candidate. There are many courses and schools to choose from. A high cut-off mark is usually a function of the demand for the course.
