High UTME Score Doesn’t Guarantee Admission, JAMB Registrar Warns

JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede

The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said that many people regard the board as an examination body.
According to Oloyede, although JAMB conducts examinations, it is not an examination body.
Rather, he explained that the board is an educational assessment and admission agency whose core mandate is to facilitate admission into tertiary institutions.
He made the clarification while speaking at the maiden Rite Foods National Academic Excellence Awards held at the Civic Centre in Lagos, where seven undergraduates shared N35 million in prizes.
Oloyede noted that JAMB’s role is widely misunderstood in Nigeria, with many people equating it with traditional examination bodies such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
“We conduct exams, but we are not an examination body .You cannot say the University of Lagos is an examination body because it conducts examinations. In the same way, JAMB conducts examinations, but it is not an examination body,” he said.
He explained that while conducting examinations is one of JAMB’s operational functions, the board’s primary responsibility is to oversee and facilitate admissions into tertiary institutions.
“If you want to know what an examination body is, look at WAEC or NECO. Their names clearly indicate that they are examination bodies. JAMB is an educational assessment body, and its goal is admission, not examination,” he added.
The JAMB Registrar also noted that the undue emphasis placed on the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has contributed to widespread misconceptions about the board’s role.
“There is a hype about UTME in Nigeria. People believe it is the golden key to gaining admission into tertiary institutions. It is not so,” he said.
He explained that admission decisions are based on multiple criteria and not solely on UTME scores.
He stressed that candidates’ performance in the UTME is only one component of a broader admission process, which also takes into account other qualifications and institutional requirements.
Oloyede further explained that celebrating high UTME scores without considering candidates’ eligibility for admission could be misleading.
“Many people have high scores but do not have the required subject combinations or qualifications for admission. That is why celebrating UTME scores alone can be misleading,” he said.
According to him, JAMB serves as a central clearing house for millions of admission seekers, ensuring fairness and the proper placement of candidates into tertiary institutions based on merit and institutional requirements.
He maintained that the board would continue to emphasise its role as an admission-focused agency rather than an examination body.
He added that greater public understanding of JAMB’s mandate is essential to addressing misconceptions surrounding the UTME and the admission process.

Source: Punch Newspaper