There are several ways of getting to study in any higher institution (universities, polytechnics & colleges of education) in Nigeria. It can be through UTME, Direct Entry (DE) and even the pre-degree programme. Unlike UTME and Direct Entry (DE), the pre-degree programme is not common amongst students, as most of them don’t even know about it.
The funniest part of it all is that getting admission to study your desired course through the pre-degree programme is much more straightforward compared to that of UTME and Direct Entry. But sadly, most students have zero knowledge about what this programme is all about.
However, if you are interested in getting to know what this programme is all about, then you are at the right place. This is because in today’s article, I will be telling you all you need to know about the pre-degree programme/admission without skipping any part. And by the end of this article, at least 95% of your questions on this programme will be answered only if you take your time to read through properly.
I will start by explaining what a pre-degree programme and pre-degree admission mean, as they are two different things entirely. After that, I will talk about other necessary things you need to know about it. So without wasting much of your time, let’s proceed!
What Is a Pre-Degree Programme?
A pre-degree programme is a programme carried out by an institution to prepare high school graduates seeking admission into that same institution. This programme prepares candidates by equipping them with the necessary knowledge to successfully sit for their O’Level examinations (WAEC/NECO/GCE/NABTEB) and UTME for admission into the 100 Level degree programmes of that same institution.
It is usually run for one (1) academic session (two semesters), which is equivalent to 8-12 months depending on how the institution’s academic calendar is.
Generally, the aim of this programme is to
- Make sure students get the adequate knowledge to sit for the O’Level exam and UTME.
- Give opportunity for students who could not gain admission into degree programmes through UTME and Direct Entry. This might be due to deficient UTME and O’Level results or because they didn’t meet up with the cut-off mark.
So with the help of this pre-degree programme, the institution will teach you all that you need to know to pass both your O’Level exam and UTME. If you then successfully pass the exam and possibly the test/exam set by the institution, including meeting other requirements, you will then be admitted into 100 level to study their degree programme based on their quota. Now what exactly is Pre-Degree Admission? Let’s find out.
What Is Pre-Degree Admission?
If you apply to do a pre-degree programme in an institution and you are successfully accepted, it simply means you have been offered pre-degree admission. So therefore, pre-degree admission simply means the acceptance of a candidate to undertake the pre-degree programme in an institution after enrolment.
Before you can apply for a pre-degree programme in an institution, there are some certain requirements you must meet up with. So what are these requirements? Let’s find out.
Pre-Degree Admission Requirements
The requirements to get pre-degree admission in all the institutions in Nigeria are quite similar but different. Generally, most institutions that that conduct the pre-degree programme will:
- Require you to have a certain number of credits in some of your O’Level subjects in a certain number of sittings.
- Require you to write an entry test.
And probably more. So to know the particular requirements the institution you wish to apply to is requesting, kindly visit their portal. Now a question might come to your mind, which is the question, “After completing the pre-degree programme in an institution, is there anything I need to do before I will be admitted into 100 level in that same institution?”
Well, the answer to that question is yes. After completing the pre-degree programme in an institution, you won’t just be transited to 100 level like that, as there are some certain criteria you will need to meet up with. And only when you meet up with these criteria will you be successfully admitted to 100 level depending on the institution’s quota. So what exactly are these criterias? Let’s find out.
Criterias For Admission Into 100 Level
The criteria for getting admission into 100 level after completing your pre-degree programme in an institution isn’t the same for all institutions in Nigeria. But generally, most institutions will require you to:
- Sit for UTME and also meet up with the institution’s general admission UTME cut-off mark.
- Have at least 5 O’Level credit passes in your 5 relevant subjects. Students who don’t have the 5 complete credits can always use this opportunity to resit for WAEC, NECO, GCE or NABTEB, depending on the one accepted by the institution.
- Pass the Institution test or examination prescribed to you. This test might be a weekly or monthly CA test given to you within the year, while the exam might be an exam specifically made for Pre-Degree students or post-UTME, depending one the institution’s policy.
And probably more also. But like I said earlier, all universities have similar but different criteria. So to know the specific criteria the institution you wish to apply to needs, kindly visit their portal.
For those who are interested in this pre-degree programme, you will need to buy the pre-degree form from that particular institution you wish to study at. But what exactly is the form price, the starting date and the ending date for the sales of the form? Let’s find out.
Pre-Degree Admission Form Price
Well, the truth is that the price of the form is not fixed, as several institutions have different prices for this form. The application form price is usually ₦5,000 upward, but in order not to make unnecessary assumptions, kindly check the institution portal. Now how about the starting and closing date? Let’s find out.
Pre-Degree Admission Application Starting/Closing Date?
The starting and ending dates for pre-degree admission applications are not fixed either, as different institutions have different dates. Usually, it always starts at the beginning of the year, but in order not to make assumptions, kindly check the institution portal for the date.
Before I conclude this article, I would like to answer some certain questions students normally ask concerning pre-degree programmes in Nigeria, which include:
- Do All Institutions Run The Pre-Degree Programme?
- Does the pre-degree programme guarantee admission?
Do All Institutions Run The Pre-Degree Programme?
No, not all institutions run the pre-degree programme in Nigeria. There are a couple of institutions that were doing it before but later stopped, while there are some that haven’t done it at all. Well, as time goes on, some institutions might consider doing the pre-degree programme also, but presently, not all conduct this programme.
Does Doing a Pre-Degree Programme Guarantee Admission?
No, doing a pre-degree programme in an institution doesn’t guarantee admission in any way. This is because there are some criteria you will also need to meet up with before you will be transited to 100 level, and without meeting up with these criteria, you cannot be transited.
Are Pre-Degree and Remedial, Pre-ND, Pre-NCE, Pre-HND and Prelim the Same?
Yes, they are all the same, as they all serve the same purpose. It’s just that most universities call it Pre-Degree, Remedial and Pre-HND, while most polytechnics and colleges of education call it Pre-ND, Pre-NCE & Prelim, but they are all the same thing.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, a pre-degree programme is just another means by which you can get to study in an institution aside from UTME and Direct Entry (DE), which is very common. And in this pre-degree programme, you will be taught all you need to know to pass your O’Level and UTME exam.
And like I said earlier, if you are able to meet up with the institution’s criteria after completing the programme, you will be admitted into 100 level to study their degree programme as stated earlier. I think that should be all for now. Thank you for reading this article.
