Public varsity cut-off points to go up

By Conan Businge

The entry points for students vying to get Government scholarships and also study on private sponsorship in public universities, is likely to go up come admissions, mid this year.

This is partly because of the increasing number of good performing students at Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations, compared to the previous year.

The overall performance of candidates in the 2014 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education Examinations (UACE) shows that a very high percentage of candidates (98.4%), qualified for the award of the certificates, compared to 97.4% in 2013. To be awarded a certificate, you need to at least to have obtained one Subsidiary pass.

However, at the minimum, it is two Principal Passes that are required for university admission. At this level, there was still a percentage improvement since 59.8% (64,132) of all the candidates passed at this level, compared to 53.8 (61,479) candidates in the previous year.

This implies that the cut-off points for Government scholarship admissions will be high, which will later also be reflected in the private admissions process in most public universities.

New admissions policy
All public universities, beginning this coming academic year, will be using a new admissions policy, different from that in the previous years.

The new policy, originated from the A’level change of subject combinations, a couple of years ago.

Unlike in the past where subjects taken at A’level were grouped into four categories, universities now group them in three categories, during the admissions time.

In the past, the admissions board was considering essential, relevant, desirable and others categories; when weighting students for admission into public universities. But the ‘Others’ category has been dropped, in the new public universities admissions guidelines.

University students will be admitted on the basis of a maximum score of 20 points. That includes a maximum six points for each of the three subjects, one point for General Paper, and the point for Sub-Maths or Computer, as a subsidiary.

In the past, students were being admitted on the basis of the maximum of 25 points. This included a maximum of six points for each of the four subjects, and one for General Paper.

For one to be admitted at the university, he she must have done a combination of three subjects and General Paper, on  top of Sub-Maths or Computer Studies as a subsidiary. Sub-Maths and Computer studies replaced what used to be the fourth subject in the combination.

Advice on making your choices on private admissions
According to the Public Universities Joint Admissions Board handbook, it has been noted over the years that some candidates apply for only ‘Popular’ and highly competitive programmes like law, medicine and surgery, electrical engineering, and pharmacy.

Such candidates don’t make choices on programmes with low cut off points, and end up missing out being admitted. “In several instances, many of those candidates do not qualify for the highly competitive programmes but would qualify for the less competitive programmes if they had applied for them,” reads the handbook.

There is a standard weighting system used in all public universities– Makerere, Kyambogo, Busitema, Gulu, Mbarara and Muni.

WEIGHTING CRITERIA
•    All subjects taken at the A’ level are grouped into three categories and weighted as follows for purposes of admission to any programme of undergraduate study in the University. The essential subject weighs three points, relevant two points and desirable one point.

•    The Essential A’ Level subjects for University Programmes must be passed with a Principal Pass.

•    More so, for a given candidate, not more than three subjects taken at the principal level shall be considered in weighing to get cut off points.

•    Important to note is that not more than two subjects shall be designated as “Essential”.

•    A pass with a Distinction or Credit in a subject taken at subsidiary level such as General Paper, Sub-Maths or Computer Studies shall carry one point. A subsidiary pass ranges from grades 1 to 6.

•    In case of programmes where “Essential” subjects may be three or more, an “Essential set” of subjects is defined. The best-performed two subjects of the essential set shall be designated as “Essential Subjects” and weighted three. The 3rd best done subject from the Essential Set shall be designated as the “Relevant Subject” and weighted two.

•    For ‘O’ level grades, Distinctions 1  and 2 carry 0.3 points, Credits 3 to 6 carry 0.2 ,Passes 7 & 8 carry 0.1 and Fail (9) carry  0.0 weights respectively.

•    For A’ Level grades, the conversion scale is A=6, B=5, C=4, D=3, E=2, O=1, F=0 points.

Totaling points
•    The O’level weight of a candidate for any programme in the University, is obtained by multiplying the numbers of Distinctions/Credits/Passes, by the relevant weights and adding up for the Distinctions, Credits and passes actually obtained by the candidate.

•    The A’level weight, for a given programme, of a candidate is obtained by multiplying each subject grade point by the relevant weighting factor and adding up for all the subjects taken and passed.

•    The combined weight of a candidate for a given programme is obtained by adding the O’level weight obtained, to the A’level weight obtained.  The best candidate for each programme is the one with the highest combined weight.

•    Candidates are selected on merit from those who apply for a programme as their first choice plus those who apply for the programme as 2nd, 3rd, 4th choice; if they have not been admitted to programmes of their earlier choices.  All choices are considered.