Understanding JAMB National Cut-Off Mark, School Cut-Off Mark, Departmental Cut-Off Mark, and Admissible Cut-Off Mark

Every admission season, thousands of candidates become confused by terms such as JAMB Cut-Off Mark , School Cut-Off Mark , Departmental Cut-Off Mark , and Admissible Cut-Off Mark . Many students wrongly assume they are all the same, which often leads to poor admission decisions. At OGB Admission Hub , we believe every candidate should understand how Nigeria's admission system works. This guide explains each term in simple language. 1. JAMB National Cut-Off Mark (National Minimum Admissible Score) The JAMB National Cut-Off Mark is the minimum score approved by JAMB during its annual Policy Meeting for different categories of tertiary institutions. This is NOT the score that guarantees admission. It simply means that candidates who score below this benchmark cannot be considered by institutions within that category. Example (2026 Policy) Universities – 150 Colleges of Nursing – 150 Polytechnics – 100 Monotechnics – 100 Innovation Enterprise Institutions (IEIs) – 100 If JAMB fixes 150 as the national minimum for universities, no university is expected to admit candidates below that score unless otherwise permitted under JAMB guidelines. Key Point: The JAMB National Cut-Off Mark is only the first stage of the admission process. 2. School Cut-Off Mark A School Cut-Off Mark is the minimum UTME score fixed by an individual institution for candidates to participate in its admission process. Every university has the right to set its own cut-off mark, provided it does not go below JAMB's approved national minimum. Example JAMB fixes: Universities – 150 A university may decide: University A – 160 University B – 180 University C – 200 This means candidates who score below the university's own cut-off mark cannot apply for that institution, even though they meet JAMB's national minimum. Example JAMB National Minimum: 150 LASU: School Cut-Off Mark = 195 Candidate A: JAMB Score = 175 Although Candidate A passed JAMB's national benchmark, the candidate cannot apply to University X because the university requires at least 195. 3. Departmental Cut-Off Mark This is the minimum score required for admission into a specific course or department after all admission calculations have been completed. Departmental cut-off marks differ because some courses attract many more applicants than others. For example: CourseDepartmental Cut-Off Medicine and Surgery 82% Aggregate Law 76% Aggregate Nursing 74% Aggregate Computer Science 68% Aggregate History 58% Aggregate Notice that these figures are usually aggregate scores , not raw JAMB scores. A student may qualify for the university but still fail to gain admission into a highly competitive course because the departmental cut-off is higher. 4. Admissible Cut-Off Mark The Admissible Cut-Off Mark is the actual score at which a department eventually offers admission after considering: Number of available spaces (quota) Number of applicants Performance of candidates Catchment area Educationally Less Developed States (ELDS), where applicable Admission policies approved by the institution Unlike the departmental benchmark announced before admission, the admissible cut-off often emerges naturally from the admission exercise. Example Computer Science has: 120 available spaces 900 applicants After ranking candidates from highest to lowest aggregate score, the last candidate admitted has an aggregate of 67.25% . Therefore: Admissible Cut-Off = 67.25% Candidates with: 68.00% – Admitted 67.80% – Admitted 67.25% – Admitted 67.10% – Not Admitted The admissible cut-off is simply the score of the last admitted candidate. How Admission Really Works Think of admission as passing through four gates: Gate 1 Meet the JAMB National Cut-Off Mark . Gate 2 Meet your chosen institution's School Cut-Off Mark . Gate 3 Obtain a competitive aggregate score through Post-UTME or screening. Gate 4 Rank high enough to meet or exceed the Admissible Cut-Off Mark for your course. Only candidates who successfully pass all four stages are offered admission. Common Mistakes Students Make ❌ Thinking the JAMB National Cut-Off guarantees admission. ❌ Assuming every university uses the same cut-off mark. ❌ Believing departmental cut-off is based only on JAMB score. ❌ Ignoring O'Level grades when schools use aggregate calculations. ❌ Applying for highly competitive courses with weak aggregate scores. Final Advice from OGB Admission Hub Admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions is competitive, not automatic . Scoring above the JAMB National Cut-Off only makes you eligible to be considered. Your chances of admission depend on your institution's requirements, your aggregate score, the competitiveness of your chosen course, and the number of available admission slots. Before choosing any course or institution, always check: JAMB National Cut-Off Mark School Cut-Off Mark Departmental requirements Previous admission trends Your estimated admission aggregate At OGB Admission Hub , our Admission Calculator helps you estimate your admission chances before making critical decisions, giving you a clearer picture of where you stand. Kindly use ogb admission Hub Calculator to calculate and give yourself a better chance.