Can I Change from Art to Science/Commercial and Vice Versa?

There are times you, like any commercial or art student, wish you can change from your class to Science. I've also seen students, who realized late, that they could do well in art courses but are now in Science. 

In fact, a guy called a few days ago and asked if he could just write Science subjects in WAEC and cross from Social Science. He has been a commercial student all his years in secondary school. Now, he wanted to study Nursing or Medicine. He wanted to know if it was possible to change the route right now. He wanted to know how to achieve that if possible.

This post is meant to give you insights into how possible it is or otherwise to change from Art to Commercial or Science and vice versa. It will all also guide you on how to go about it. And in certain cases, where you can still use your current class to cross to different courses while seeking admission.

You Can Cross From Art, Commercial or Science to the Other

The decision to cross from a course to the other may not come while still enjoying your classes in SS 1 or SS2. In fact, many candidates, planning to change, will not resolve, until they'd done one WAEC or NECO or sometimes, in the final year in secondary schools.

If you're in this situation, it may mean you'd come across a piece of advice on why you should consider another discipline or you'd come to realize your true passion and potential. 

As for my position on this, whether you're in the SS class, you're already done in secondary school or you've graduated with a course but now wish to cross to another discipline, it's very possible and you're allowed to do that without any limitation.

A friend is, today a doctor because while registering for WAEC, the exams officer mistakenly registered Physics, Chemistry, and Biology for him instead of Account, Economics, and Government. The poor guy was forced to do Science subjects in the exams (I don't know how, but he did it) but I knew he made the papers.

This was how he eventually got admission to Medicine.

Needless to repeat, the admission process doesn't care if you're a commercial student for the last three years in secondary school. If you want to become an English Major, you just have to provide the required SSCE subjects. Once you can give the school and JAMB exactly the subjects required in SSCE and UTME, you're allowed to cross without anybody asking you why.

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Coping With Crossing from One Discipline to the Other

If you cross from Art to Science or Science to Commercial, how can you cope? 

Just like the case of my friend above, anybody can copy after changing lanes with an extra amount of seriousness and dedication.

While guiding the boy that called me earlier (he actually wanted to change in SS 2), I told him he could do it. And in order to cope with the situation at hand, he must be ready to read extensively. The summary of what I told him to do in order to achieve his dream was summarized below.

1. Get all the required books from SS1 to the current class and study them. If you're still in secondary school, talk to your counselor about your new dream. You should have plans regards your next steps.
2. Get teachers (where necessary) to teach you what you might have missed in the previous classes
3. Attend extra moral lessons where your new subjects are well handled.
4. Make friendship with students in the new class or discipline for academic interactions

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Using Your Existing Results to Cross to Other Discipline 

Some candidates who decide to change courses, at this point (after they'd already completed SSCE), don't want to start all over. They want to consider the possibility of using their current Science or Commercial subjects (results) in WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB to cross to the Art line and vice versa. 

Is it possible to use Art results for Commercial courses or Commercial results for Science/Art?

The direct answer to that question is YES. You can use Art/Commercial results to gain admission for Science courses or Science to gain Art/Commercial courses. However, there are a few exceptions that you must know as detailed below.

1. Study JAMB Brochure to Be Sure

One key step to take if you want to use a different result for another course is to study the official JAMB brochure. There is an online version that details each course and the SSCE and UTME requirements.

Take time to see the "general requirements" for the course and the "special consideration". It's usually under the "special consideration" that a few schools will waive certain subjects and give favorable conditions or otherwise.

1. For instance, For Urban and Regional Planning (a science course), Abia State University accepts five (5) 'O' Level credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Geography and any two (2) of Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Government, Biology, Art, History, CRS/IS. 'O' Level credit pass in Geography is compulsory. This means the university will accept an art or commercial student who has the right subject combination.
2. Another instance is, in Economics (a commercial course), Obafemi Awolowo University OAU requires five (5) 'O' Level credit passes to include English Language, Mathematics, Economics, Geography or Government and any from Civic Education/History/Christian Religious Studies/Islamic Studies/Yoruba/ Literature/Chemistry/Physics/Biology/Agricultural Science/Further Mathematics/ICT. In this case, the university may consider you as a science or art student for the commercial course, if you have the main subjects and any of the science and/or art subjects listed.
3. For Philosophy (a Art course), the University of Lagos (UNILAG) requires five O'level credits in English Language, Mathematics, one Arts, and any two Arts, Social Sciences and Science. Civic Education is also accepted. This means, with the right subject combination, science or social science students will be admitted for Philosophy.

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2. The Four JAMB Subjects May Hold You Back

As earlier noted, very many schools, if JAMB Brochure is well checked, may admit science or commercial students for art courses and vice versa (if O'level subjects are met). 

What of JAMB UTME subjects? This is where the difficulty may lie.

I'd already advised studying the books for the new subjects or courses you're about to take. If you think your SSCE subjects are acceptable, your JAMB subjects may require you to still sit for the new course. 

In most cases, schools will still want art students, trying to cross to a science course, to write the required UTME subjects for the Science course. This is where you still have to study science subjects.

This, however, does not mean that all institutions strictly require you to write the generally required subjects in UTME. A few of them, just like in the SSCE subjects, accepts other UTME subjects. Hence, the best bet is to study the JAMB brochure first or use the JAMB admission eligibility checker. That takes us to the next point.

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3. Use the JAMB Admission Eligibility Checking Tool

JAMB has officially given aspirants a tool they can use to know their admission status before even applying. JAMB gives you the eligibility checker such that you can enter your O'lvel subjects, their grades, and JAMB UTME subjects in the spaces provided. With a click of a button, the machine will tell you if you are eligible for admission with those combinations or otherwise. 

The system will let you know instantly if the proposed university will be willing to offer you admission based on your SSCE subjects and better performance in UTME.

To use the eligibility checker,

1. Visit the JAMB eligibility checking portal. or click http://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/eligibility
2. A form will be opened to you as it will be opened at the CBT centre
3. Choose your mode of entry i.e DE or UTME
4. Select INSTITUTION TYPE e.g. Degree, ND, NCE, or NID
5. Select INSTITUTION CATEGORY e.g. Federal Universities, State Polytechnics, etc
6. Select the institution you want to seek admission into. Then, choose your proposed course.
7. Fill your O’level with Credit (A1-C6) and those with Pass (D7-E8)
8. Below that, select the four UTME subjects you intend to write in JAMB (for the UTME candidates)
9. Direct Entry candidates should fill the A’level section (UTME section doesn’t concern the DE applicants)
10. Finally, click on “Check Programme Eligibility”

In fact, this can save you the time to study the JAMB brochure if you know how well to use the tool. You can check for various universities and see which one will accept you with the deficiencies you have in your SSCE or UTME.

Recommended: Can DE Course Be Different From ND/CE Course?

Conclusion

It's not uncommon to see existing secondary school students, and school leavers willing to change the choices of disciplines/courses while chasing admissions. In fact, graduates, who are are planning to go for other courses different from what they'd learned in secondary schools or higher institutions are also considering the same choice. This is very possible to achieve if you understand how to approach things.

The strategies to minimize mistakes had been well covered in this post.

Best of luck.

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