Z-score cut-off points next month

The Higher Education Ministry said yesterday the Z-score cut off points, for the admission of students to the university for the new academic year, would be released next month.

Senior ministry sources said the aptitude test results for some 28 degree programmes would be finalised soon.

The first batch of 10,000 students with the best countrywide results selected for university admission would begin their leadership training programme on December 27.

Sources said the second batch of students selected for university admission would be notified on January 8. They would follow the subsequent leadership programme.

They said the new academic year might begin in February but the dates have not been confirmed as the decision has to be made by the respective universities and their faculties and not by the ministry or the University Grants Commission (UGC).

“The reason for the delay is due to the issues that arose over the Z-score controversy however we have tried to speed up the process as there have been numerous inquiries from parents and students,” the source said.

In September the Supreme Court directed the UGC to accommodate an additional 5,609 students from the list of 2011 GCE A/L batch at the next university intake. With the extra intake, the university will admit a total of 27,000 students for the new academic year.

The delay is due to the issues that arose over the Zscore controversy however we have speeded up the process