The 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration is about to commence, and unfortunately, many prospective candidates, especially first-time ones, are unaware that they should conduct in-depth research before registering.
As a prospective UTME candidate, refrain from arriving at the CBT (registration) center and seeking information from attendants or fellow candidates about a course, its required subjects, or suitable institutions. These are fundamental aspects you should be aware of before stepping on the ground of a CBT center.
Firstly, decide on the course you wish to enroll in. Then, ask yourself, “Can my O-level results qualify me for this course? Do I have the average grades needed to enroll in this course?” Once you have answered these questions, consider the institution you want to select. Check if it offers your course of choice. If it does, good luck; if not, explore other institutions that offer your preferred course.
After you have decided on the institution you want to choose, look at the institution’s requirements for your course of choice. Be sure to fulfill all righteousness. For example, University of Ibadan requires someone willing to study Communication & Language Arts to have “5 ‘O’ Level Credits at one sitting or 6 ‘O’ Level Credits at 2 sittings to include English Language, Literature-In-English, one Arts subject and any other two or three subjects from Arts, Social Sciences or Science”. By inference, it is compulsory to have Literature-in-English to be able to study CLA at UI, whereas another institution offering the course or a similar course [like Mass Communication] might not require Literature-in-English.
Another thing to look at is the number of sittings. There are institutions that do not accept two sittings at all. There are institutions that accept two sittings for some courses. There are institutions that accept two sittings for all courses. The most important thing for you, a prospective UTME candidate, is to know what your institution of choice wants.
Once you have met the O-level requirements, it is pertinent to choose UTME subjects rightly. These are the four subjects you will write in the UTME. Use of English is compulsory, and each course may have specific subject requirements. For Philosophy, University of Ibadan requires “one Arts subject and any two subjects from Arts, Social Sciences, or Sciences”, while University of Abuja requires “Government plus any two other subjects”. Failure to include Government in your UTME subjects for UniAbuja will disqualify you from Philosophy admission.
To conclude, you should note that in-depth research is the first thing before registration. If your results or choices are not up to your first choice institution’s requirements, do not waste your time anticipating ‘miracle’, look for an institution that accepts your results, or rather go for another desired course. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) brochure and admission documents of institutions are great resources that can help you in the choice of course in relation to O-level and UTME subjects. They are available online. Make judicious use of them! Wishing you success in your exam and future endeavours!
