DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHOOL'S CUT-OFF
MARK AND DEPARTMENTAL CUT-OFF
MARKS

Many candidates applying for POST UTME are left in a pool of confusion, trying to differentiate school's cut off mark from
departmental cut off mark. This is the reason i'm writing this post, so that candidates will have a clearer understanding on what they are
curious about.

SCHOOL'S CUT OFF MARK

After every UTME exercise, a particular mark is set out by the exam body {e.g 200}. This mark is a score a candidate must have or cross,
to qualify him or her to sit for the chosen school's POST UTME exercise. This said mark is announced to all school's to enable them decide the number of candidates they will admit.
After the school's decision, they announce a particular mark which must not be lower than the mark the UTME body fixed. Any candidate
who cross the mark set by the UTME body and did not reach the chosen school's mark, is NEVER eligible to sit for the school's POST UTME.
This mark or score set by the school admission board is known as SCHOOL'S CUT OFF MARK.

DEPARTMENTAL CUT OFF MARK

When a candidate cross the UTME cut off mark and reaches or crosses the chosen school's cut off mark, he or she is now eligible to sit for
the POST UTME. After the POST UTME exercise, the department you applied for will check the number of students seeking admission therein and also, the performance of those students in the POST UTME exercise, this analysis gives rise to a decision of setting a mark/score which the candidates must have or
cross. This mark is called DEPARTMENTAL CUT OFF MARK.
Any candidate that scores or crosses the departmental cut off, is entitled to admission.
What Happens When a Candidate Meets the General Cut-off Mark But Not The Departmental Cut-off Mark

In some schools, if you need the general cut-off mark but fail to meet the departmental cut-off mark for the course you chose, you will be
moved to another course that your score meets its cut-off mark. The course you will be moved to is usually related to the one you first
applied for.

For instance, if you apply for Medicine in a school and do not meet the required cut-off mark, you may be considered for admission into Microbiology provided you meet the cut-off mark for the course.

However, many schools have different departmental cut-off marks for Admission by MERIT, Admission by Catchment area, and admission by Educationally less developed States. The departmental cut-off marks
for MERIT admission is usually higher than the rest.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU QUALIFY FOR ADMISSION AFTER CROSSING UTME AND POST UTME

Your UTME score is added to your POST UTME score and is divided by two, the outcome of this calculation must be equal to the
departmental cut off mark or higher than the departmental cut off mark.

So in conclusion, the general cutoff mark of a school is the minimum score you are required to have before seeking admission in that school while the departmental cut-off mark of a school is the minimum score you need to be considered for admission into a course of study.
SOURCE: https://www.schooltalks.com.ng/2021/10/difference-between-schools-cut-off-mark.html?m=1