FUD Clears Air on Grading System and 25% Rumour

Federal University Dutse (FUD) released a statement after a memo spread online. The memo was read wrongly and many people assumed the university now accepts 25 percent as a pass mark.

School management said that claim is false. The grading system used at FUD follows rules set by the National Universities Commission and the Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards, known as CCMAS. These rules apply across Nigerian public universities.

Official FUD grading system

The approved grading scale remains the same:

• 70 – 100: A
• 60 – 69: B
• 50 – 59: C
• 45 – 49: D
• 40 – 44: E
• 0 – 39: F

Management restated that Grade E (40–44) is the minimum pass score. Any claim saying 25 percent is a pass mark is wrong, full stop.

What the 25% concessional pass really means

The 25 percent score is a special academic concession. It is not open to everyone and it does not apply to normal semesters.

This option comes up only when a student has reached the final approved study period and has just one course left. For example, a five-year programme like Agriculture runs for five years. If courses remain, the student moves to Spillover I, then Spillover II if needed.

At the last semester of Spillover II, the Senate may approve a concessional pass for that single course if all conditions below are met:

• The student registered for the course
• Lecture attendance reached at least 75 percent
• Tests and continuous assessment were taken
• The final exam was written
• The score is not less than 25 percent

If a student has more than one outstanding course at this stage, withdrawal follows automatically. There is no exception there, even if scores are close.

Academic standards stay intact

School management added that concessional passes exist across Nigerian universities. They are not a sign of lower standards. FUD said its academic record, staff quality, and graduate outcomes remain strong, both within Nigeria and outside.

The university also stated clearly that there is no reason to weaken its grading rules or public standing.