The University of Abuja, now known as Yakubu Gowon University, has addressed concerns raised by parents and applicants regarding apparent inconsistencies between students’ Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results and their subsequent post-UTME scores.
Several parents, speaking to LEADERSHIP on Friday, expressed unease about the scoring their children received during the post-UTME assessment.
One parent, Mr. Francis Moji, whose son sought admission into the Public Administration program, shared his worries about what he termed a “disappointingly low post-UTME score,” despite his son’s decent performance in the JAMB examination.
“My son achieved a score of 200 in JAMB, yet he was awarded only 20 out of 50 in the post-UTME. I find this puzzling and am anxious about his chances of gaining admission,” he remarked.
In response, the university‘s Admissions Office released a statement on the institution’s official Facebook page last Thursday, acknowledging the concerns but clarifying that the scoring framework is intentionally designed to align candidates with courses that best match their academic strengths, thereby enhancing their likelihood of success once admitted.
The university elaborated that the post-UTME evaluation is not a straightforward or uniform scoring of results. Instead, it employs a specialized approach that assesses candidates based on how relevant their subject scores are to the specific course they have applied for.
“We have received inquiries from both parents and applicants about the differences observed between their UTME results and post-UTME scores,” the statement read.
“Our post-UTME scoring system is technical and does not simply assign marks indiscriminately. Each candidate’s results are analyzed in the context of the course they intend to study.”
To clarify, the university provided examples: a candidate applying for Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) will have their scores in Biology and other core science subjects weighted more heavily, whereas subjects like Economics would be considered irrelevant. Conversely, an applicant for Economics would have their performance in Economics prioritized over Biology.
“Therefore, even if two candidates have identical overall grades, differences in the relevance of their subject scores to their chosen courses will naturally result in varying post-UTME scores,” the statement added.
The Admissions Office reassured parents that the grading methodology is transparent, reliable, and consistent with recognized academic standards.
They encouraged all stakeholders to have confidence in the system, underscoring the university’s dedication to fairness and precision throughout the admission process.
