The 2025 UTME debacle left many candidates scrambling to secure university places under tight deadlines.
With unusually low scores and withheld results, prospective undergraduates are weighing two main pathways: the traditional UTME route or direct entry via A-level, IJMB and merit transfers.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of both routes can help affected students choose the path that maximises their chances of admission despite this year’s score setbacks.
Each option carries its own requirements, timelines and trade-offs from subject prerequisites and cut-off marks to application fees and processing times.
- Comparing entry requirements
UTME candidates must meet a minimum score and cut-off mark set by each institution and chosen programme. Direct entry applicants need specified grades in A-level, IJMB or diplomas often requiring at least two principal passes in relevant subjects.
Those with strong post-secondary results may find direct entry a more reliable pathway when UTME scores fall short.
- Application timelines and deadlines
UTME registrations, exams and result releases follow a fixed annual cycle. Delays in result publication can squeeze university admission windows.
Direct entry applications typically open later and close after UTME offers are issued, giving candidates more time to finalise their credentials and submit complete documents.
- Programme availability and quotas
Universities reserve a certain percentage of spaces for direct entry students, reducing competition for these slots when UTME applicants outnumber available places.
However not all courses accept direct entry, some professional and technical programmes require UTME only. Prospective students must confirm seat allocations before applying.
- Financial considerations
UTME applicants pay fees for registration, exam sitting, and portal access. Direct entry candidates incur additional costs for A-level or IJMB registration, tuition for diploma programmes, and separate application charges.
Students must budget for these expenses and explore scholarship or payment-plan options where available.
- Academic preparedness and support
UTME preparation centres focus on objective drills and subject mastery for the four-hour exam.
Direct entry routes involve deeper study of chosen disciplines often via structured campus or online programmes that include lectures, assignments and practicals.
This sustained academic engagement can better prepare students for university-level coursework.
- Impact on graduation timeline
Candidates who qualify via direct entry may enter into second-year classes, potentially shortening their time to graduation by one year. UTME entrants follow the full curriculum sequence.
Students eager to fast-track their degrees might favor direct entry if they meet the requirements.
- Flexibility and fallback options
Some students register for both UTME and direct entry to keep both doors open sitting for UTME while completing an IJMB or diploma in parallel.
This dual-track approach hedges against unexpected low scores or application setbacks, though it demands careful time management and additional fees.
Choosing between UTME and direct entry after the 2025 score crisis depends on individual strengths, resources and long-term goals. Those with solid A-level or IJMB results can leverage direct entry to bypass tight UTME cut-offs and shorten their studies.
Students with limited post-secondary credentials may still pursue UTME, supplementing their applications with strong post-exam portfolios, remedial courses or catch-up programmes.
By weighing requirements, costs and academic fit, each candidate can chart the most effective admission route in a year defined.
-pulseng
