Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering education in Nigeria and worldwide.

Garki, Abuja - Candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) who scored 300 and above in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) may not secure admission.

UTME, administered by JAMB, is taken by candidates seeking admission into Nigerian higher institutions.

This year (2024), 1.9 million candidates registered for the examination, according to JAMB.

Legit.ng reports that the 2024 UTME which started on Friday, April 19, is ongoing and will end on Monday, April 29, 2024.

Candidates who have written the exam are awaiting the score as JAMB is yet to officially release the results.

Meanwhile, an analysis of data from JAMB showed that at least 6.9 million candidates sat the UTME between 2019 and 2022. However, only 2.03 million candidates got admitted into various tertiary institutions while 4.87 million candidates failed to secure admission.

Among the over four million young Nigerians who failed to secure admission are 4,385 candidates who scored 300 and above out of the possible 400 score.

Various factors were identified by JAMB as responsible for this.

Legit.ng highlights some reasons below:

1) Wrong O’Level subject combination

Just as an incomplete/wrong UTME subject choice can hurt an admission seeker, a wrong O'level combination can equally disqualify a candidate.

Wrong subject combination in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the National Examination Council (NECO) automatically means a UTME candidate is not eligible for the course.

Therefore, if you are in the science department, you may have to seek advice from your teachers who are experienced in the field. The same thing applies to commercial and art students, as they are referred to in Nigeria.

2) Low post-UTME screening score

A UTME candidate who scored a poor score in their post-UTME screening would not get a chance to gain admission into a higher institution.

However, that could change if he or she changes institution.

3) Non-acceptance of admission offer

Non-acceptance of admission offer means that the opportunity to either reject or accept was rejected by a candidate.

When JAMB gives admission to a candidate, it usually requests two options — accept or reject.

4) Duplication of application

An admission seeker, even if he or she scores 300 and above, may still be denied admission if his or her application is recreated.

As a UTME candidate, it is not allowed to duplicate your application.

5) Absence from post-UTME screening

Post UTME is an after-JAMB examination or screening for candidates seeking admission into various universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and other tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The test is one of the most important examinations when applying to most higher schools of learning in Nigeria. Thus, failing this exam breaks UTME candidates' university admission dreams.

6) Mismatch of catchment

There is the issue of catchment areas in the admission process of federal universities.

The principle was targeted at promoting a sense of belonging.

UTME candidates can secure admission if the school they picked is well-matched with their catchment area.

Read more JAMB-related articles

How to check UTME 2024 results

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the 2024 UTME conducted by JAMB is still ongoing.

As of Friday afternoon, April 26, the results have not been released.

Source: Legit.ng