By JOSEPH ERUNKE, Abuja

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has set benchmark for admission into tertiary institutions for the 2020 school session.

JAMB disclosed Tuesday, at its policy meeting held online that cut-off mark for admission into tertiary institutions stands at 160 and above.

Its Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who said this, added that polytechnics cut-off mark was put at 120 and above while that of the Colleges of Education stands at 100 and above.

Oloyede also disclosed that a total of 612, 557 candidates were offered admission in 2019 just as he said about 510,957 admission spaces were unused by tertiary institutions in 2019.

According to him, only 1,157,977 candidates had the required five credits with English and Mathematics that sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations last year.

“Out of 1,157,977 candidates who sat for UTME in 2019, about 612,557 were admitted,” he said in his opening address at the occasion.

Oloyede noted that candidates waiting for their results will only be considered when they are uploaded on its website.

In his remarks, Minister of Education, directed JAMB and tertiary institutions to proceed with the conduct of 2020/2021 admissions. Admission processes are expected to commence in August based on the guidelines released by JAMB.

Represented by the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, Adamu urged JAMB and tertiary institutions to consider candidates with previous years Senior School Certificate Examination and other qualifying results, to proceed with the admission process.

He said government will make arrangement that will accommodate applicants who will be taking the examination when the opportunity to do so is worked out. The minister said: “As major stakeholders, we must jointly come up with reactions that would realign our programmes to these new realities.

“While these reactions are being fine-tuned to check their capacities and capabilities to withstand the new reality, JAMB and tertiary institutions could take advantage of the current situation and consider candidates with previous years Senior School Certificate Examination and other qualifying results, to proceed on with the admission process.

“Whatever arrangement that the country comes up with in the long run, will surely accommodate those who will be taking the examination when the opportunity to do so is worked out.” (Vanguard)