Begun in 1978 by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the UME is more difficult than the SSCE. Students must register for English language and three more subjects in their major field. Candidates have traditionally scored low in mathematics and sciences. For the 2001 academic year, the average score in mathematics was 38.90 percent; in biology, 48.33 percent; and in chemistry, 45.51 percent.
For students who finished secondary school and took the West African GCE A Level or GCE O Level before 1989, high scores on these exams qualify candidates for university admission. There are several other possible options, including high scores on the NCE and ND. In addition, there might be other requirements depending on a student's major field.
In the spring of 2000, President Obasanjo introduced a new plan that required all primary and secondary schools to teach courses in African culture. In order to enter a university, students will have to provide proof that they have passed cultural knowledge courses. The courses focus on African and Nigerian history, mythology, and proverbs.
Higher educational institutions must also follow federal guidelines that attempt to balance the differences among ethnic groups receiving a higher education. They must weigh test scores, residency of the candidate, and whether the candidate is from an educationally less developed state in determining who is admitted.
The polytechnic colleges have different requirements for admission. Normally they require the SSC, but other requirements are generally set by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and vary with programs. Most candidates must take an entry exam called the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Exam (PCE). About 120,000 candidates took the exam for the 2001 academic year. A few polytechnics are beginning to offer bachelor's degrees in technical fields, but most offer programs leading to the ND and HND.
One striking feature of university education is the lack of majors in the sciences. Only 10.3 percent graduated in 1992 with degrees in pure science, engineering, agriculture, and technology. The government's goal is to shift the admission ratio of majors for incoming freshmen away from the humanities to 60 percent science and technology. In 2000, though, only 20 percent committed to science while 80 percent went into the humanities. The enrollment at technical training institutions, colleges of agriculture, and polytechnics remained disappointingly low as well.
