JAMB: 125 UTME candidates with over 300 score denied admission

At least 125 candidates who scored 300 and above in the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) examinations, did not gain admission into tertiary institutions.

The figure is based on the admission statistics prepared by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the period under review.

While tertiary institutions are at liberty to determine their respective cut-off marks for admission, there is a widely held belief that candidates who score higher marks have advantages over those with poor UTME scores.

According to the statistics obtained from the board by our correspondent on Saturday, a total of 715 candidates scored 300 and above in the 2021 examinations.

Out of the 715, JAMB noted that only 590 were admitted, while out of the 125 who were denied admissions, JAMB noted that 35 of them applied for Medicine.

A total of 64 applied for Engineering-related courses; one for education; 18 for Science-related courses.

Furthermore, the board also revealed that while four of the candidates applied for programmes under the social sciences; only three applied for courses under admissions.