UTME/DE: Which is For 100 Level and 200 Level Admission?

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UNDERSTANDING UTME AND DE REQUIREMENTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR ADMISSION

This post must be read by both candidates seeking admissions through UTME and candidates seeking admissions through DE (Direct Entry form).

You start hearing about UTME sometimes when you are in senior class one. This is very usual. It’s because you’re also on your way to seeking admission. You won’t gain achieve this without UTME – except you find other non-UTME means. or you consider IJMB, JUPEB, and Cambridge A’level.

What is UTME? 

UTME means Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The exam body in charge is the Joint Admission and Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB).

This body conducts yearly exams for admission seekers (who had completed their senior schools) usually between February and April every year.

It’s important to note that the sales of forms and registration for these exams start yearly between October to February.

See: JAMB Brochure: Updated Subject Combination for All Courses

Approach Used By JAMB for her Exams

To partake in the exams, an admission seeker must obtain the form and register it at any of the accredited CBT centers in the country and outside.

Note that, this exam holds usually outside Nigeria in countries including Accra (Ghana), Johannesburg (South Africa), Cameroon, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Ivory Coast, London (UK), and Cotonou (Benin Republic).

In other words, you can obtain the form, register it and write your exams in those countries.

Recommended: How To Check If a Student is Admitted or Still in School Still

UTME is a Computer Based Test

JAMB introduced a computer-based approach for exams some years ago. Since then, the body and admission seekers had gotten used to the method.

After the registration, you will be scheduled for the exams. Applicants are scheduled to write their tests on specific dates, times, and CBT centers.

Students are expected to select four relevant subjects (to their desired courses) during the registration. These subjects must align with your course. You’ll be tested in the exams based on the subject combination you’d earlier chosen.

Read: True Nature of Post UTME and Subject Combination

During the exams, your English questions will be 50/60 in number. The other three subjects will be 50/40 each. The body may set lesser questions than this if they deem fit. The total mark for UTME is 400. This is derived from your performance in the four subjects attempted.

JAMB reserves the right to how the calculation is done. The well-known method the body used to set questions and award marks was well discussed in "How JAMB Sets and Marks UTME"

See: JAMB Speaks on Sales of the next UTME Form. Latest Update

Differences Between UTME and Direct Entry

Don't be confused. Most times, candidates mistake UTME for Direct Entry. Some think Direct Entry is a process through which you gain admission to school without JAMB. Or in other words, they believe schools can just give you admission without JAMB involvement. Nope!

Let me break this down for you.

JAMB is the only exam body in charge of UTME and DE (Direct Entry). UTME is the exam you must write and pass before you can be given admission to the 100-level of your proposed course. Candidates that take UTME are usually SSCE holders or secondary school leavers.

Direct Entry candidates equally obtain the JAMB form but never write exams. Their own form is called the DE form. These candidates are not only SSCE holders, but they had also equally completed their IJMB, JUPEB, or any other A'level course. A DE applicant can also be a holder of a National Diploma (ND), NCE, HND, or BSC from any school.

DE applicants seek admission to the 200-level of their previous course or a related one. And if admitted, will start from the 200-level.

Recommended: How To Check If a Student is Admitted or Still in School Still

After UTME/DE, What Next?

Results are usually released within weeks of your exams. Some students with issues including technical itches may be recalled for the mop-up test. With the mop-up test, JAMB is able to allow every candidate to participate in the test without bias.

The next thing after the results are released is for JAMB to hold a stakeholders meeting. At this meeting, the body, the Ministry of Education, and other members of the education sector come together and finalize certain terms including and most especially the cut-off marks to be used and other modalities for the year admission exercise.

After this, the cut-off mark is declared and schools are to start selling their post-UTME and/or admission screening forms.

You’re to obtain your proposed institution’s admission screening or post-UTME form, partake in the test or screening, and await the admission list.

Recommended: How To Link Email to JAMB Profile to Access CAPS

Do Change of Institutions and Courses

Before now, during, and after you’ve been given admission, you can change the institution/course on the JAMB portal.

This will allow you to consider other schools if the schools already chosen can't give you admission based on your performance in UTME or post-UTME.

You’ll also be allowed to change courses. Details of this are well covered in the post, “10 Things to Know About JAMB Change of Data, Institutions, and Courses".

You should also consider reading, “JAMB Change of Institutions and Courses: Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges You Can Consider” That post will be a perfect guide for those who score lower in their UTME and yet want to be on campus this year.

Recommended: 9 Common Mistakes to Avoid In JAMB UTME

JAMB Takes Over Admission Processes and Gives Candidates Spaces

With CAPs, JAMB is more in charge of admission than schools.

CAPs is Central Admission Processing System. This system helps the body to restrict schools' authority to solely decide your admission fate. They must be aware of the modalities a school follows in order to offer admissions. See how JAMB and schools will admit this year.

With this, they are able to confirm if the student truly merits the space.

As the admission exercise for the year continues, admission seekers are expected to regularly visit their JAMB profiles.

To access that, you’ll log in with your profile email and password. On your dashboard, you could see your admission status and how things change from time to time. Status usually changes from “You have been recommended for admission” to “Congratulations, you’ve been offered admission”.

You’re expected to accept admission from schools directly from your profile. See what JAMB and schools will do if you reject your admission.

Conclusion

The journey to gain admission to any university, polytechnic, or college of education starts with UTME and DE. But it doesn’t end there.

Every student should understand the entire process involved in gaining admission. He or she should take advantage of the change of institutions and courses exercise, take part in the post UTME or admission screening, follow up status in JAMB CAPs. Then accept the admission when the time comes.

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