Liebermann:


No it doesn't but having straight As carries more weight than your first degree and offers a better advantage than whatever margin you may gain with your SOP. Yes there are individuals whose class of degree don't correspond with their level of knowledge of expertise but in general O'Level grades are the most compromised. I know illiterates with distinctions in their O'Level. Not stupid, not ignorant, not dyslexic, literal illiterates who can't read or write. Then you have a criteria like that carrying such weight in your selection process? No way.

Are you forgetting the mass sorting going on in universities too? See, you can't be consistent in cheating the system.

Awarding scores for 'awards won' favors me, you think I'm happy PTDF scrapped that? They've got the yam and knife.

Engr2016:
I also agree too. But the UK seems to have more awards compared to FGM . This is perhaps to give room for the larger number of candidates that normally choose there.

In a normal 4-scholar award list, FGM has at least one name. UK is highly competitive.

XtraSmooth404:


Are you forgetting the mass sorting going on in universities too? See, you can't be consistent in cheating the system.

Awarding scores for 'awards won' favors me, you think I'm happy PTDF scrapped that? They've got the yam and knife.

What does that mean? Either way, class of degree isn't as weighted as O'Levels for it to matter even though it's generally more credible than O'Levels IMO. Maybe both should be relegated to 10 - 15 points each. Then have SOP and other qualifications round out the rest of the process.

Liebermann:


What does that mean? Either way, class of degree isn't as weighted as O'Levels for it to matter even though it's generally more credible than O'Levels IMO. Maybe both should be relegated to 10 - 15 points each. Then have SOP and other qualifications round out the rest of the process.

I dunno the year or school you sat for WAEC exam that gives you the impression it's not credible. My secondary school was a mission school in the North, strongly against exam malpractice. The best five students in WAEC in my set are doing greatly;

One is working in Germany as we speak, he won a scholarship for BSc.
2 are doctors (one is UK based)

I can go on and on.

The marking template I shared was for PhD in 2018, and I said they may decide to change it. Because some changes are made to the scoring template almost every year.
O-level marks for Msc was 30 in same 2018. I actually don't know the marking template for 2020 and this year as well.
May we be successful at the end.

Engr2016:
I guess this was for the PHD candidates . For the MSc candidates , will the total marks for BSc grade also be 15 ? Perhaps Fatima can clarify for us.

Liebermann:


What does that mean? Either way, class of degree isn't as weighted as O'Levels for it to matter even though it's generally more credible than O'Levels IMO. Maybe both should be relegated to 10 - 15 points each. Then have SOP and other qualifications round out the rest of the process.

You dunno there are professional SOP and research proposal writers? Why do you feel it deserves more points than other rating categories?

XtraSmooth404:


In a normal 4-scholar award list, FGM has at least one name. UK is highly competitive.

Its safe to assume that there are 1.5x more UK applicants than FGM, hence there's usually 1.5x more slots for UK than FGM. You need more data to definitively say that UK is more competitive but the ratio of successful applicants for UK commensurate for the number of applicants.

XtraSmooth404:


You dunno there are professional SOP and research proposal writers? Why do you feel it deserves more points than other rating categories?

Interviewers don't grade you based on what you write on your SOP or proposal. They do that based on how you verbally present and defend it. I wasn't even asked to present a hard copy. I'm sure same goes for a lot of people.

XtraSmooth404:


I dunno the year or school you sat for WAEC exam that gives you the impression it's not credible. My secondary school was a mission school in the North, strongly against exam malpractice. The best five students in WAEC in my set are doing greatly;

One is working in Germany as we speak, he won a scholarship for BSc.
2 are doctors (one is UK based)

I can go on and on.

That's a fallacy of composition that further buttresses my point. You had to go through a strict exam environment, does that mean everyone else did? There are miracle centers all over the country. How is it fair to assess your performance against these other candidates? There are cases of people specifically having others write O Levels for them to get high grades for this scholarship. Something that can be so easily manipulated shouldn't carry this much weight period.

Wow! This is a great observation. Perhaps, they have read it or seen it on the computer screen.

Liebermann:


Interviewers don't grade you based on what you write on your SOP or proposal. They do that based on how you verbally present and defend it. I wasn't even asked to present a hard copy. I'm sure same goes for a lot of people.

Liebermann:


Interviewers don't grade you based on what you write on your SOP or proposal. They do that based on how you verbally present and defend it. I wasn't even asked to present a hard copy. I'm sure same goes for a lot of people.

They have it on their system remember say you upload am for portal, prolly don jack am self overnight before your interview session with them. Forget oo na war btwn us and the panelist.

Engr2016:
Wow! This is a great observation. Perhaps, they have read it or seen it on the computer screen.

Doubt it. They don't pull up your profile until you go into the room and while you're in there, they're busy assessing everything else. They input your grade immediately after asking pertinent questions about the issues you raised and move to the next candidate. Even when they ask you for a copy of the SOP/Proposal, they don't grade you on the written document but your verbal presentation. Otherwise an interview wouldn't be necessary to grade your SOP/Proposal.

Dreldee:


They have it on their system remember say you upload am for portal, prolly don jack am self overnight before your interview session with them. Forget oo na war btwn us and the panelist.

They don't know who they're interviewing until you tell them your name and they pull up your profile after which they focus on grading your documents first. If they refer to your SOP it's not to grade you on the document but to ask questions and assess your motivation and understanding of the issues you propose to address. Your presentation and your responses determine your score for the SOP.

Great point. The conduct of examinations is stricter in universities than those of WAEC, GCE or NECO. I took a candidate to a center last year and she vividly told me several times that the invigilator / test center ( public school) requested and collected money from candiates to allow them cheat as they like. But she challenged the invigilator that this was morally wrong. Nevertheless majority of the candidates were still allowed to cheat as they like.

Liebermann:


That's a fallacy of composition that further buttresses my point. You had to go through a strict exam environment, does that mean everyone else did? There are miracle centers all over the country. How is it fair to assess your performance against these other candidates? There are cases of people specifically having others write O Levels for them to get high grades for this scholarship. Something that can be so easily manipulated shouldn't carry this much weight period.

Liebermann:


That's a fallacy of composition that further buttresses my point. You had to go through a strict exam environment, does that mean everyone else did? There are miracle centers all over the country. How is it fair to assess your performance against these other candidates? There are cases of people specifically having others write O Levels for them to get high grades for this scholarship. Something that can be so easily manipulated shouldn't carry this much weight period.

Are you saying 16 - 18yrs old preparing for WAEC cheat just so they can apply for PTDF in future ? Or you're saying people who have graduated from universities rewrite waec solely for PTDF? I believe each waec result has the exam year on it so that shou send a red flag signal to PTDF.

If the latter is the case, then such student must be dumb cos the same energy can get you other world class scholarships that don't even need a waec certificate.

Liebermann:


What does that mean? Either way, the class of degree isn't as weighted as O'Levels for it to matter even though it's generally more credible than O'Levels IMO. Maybe both should be relegated to 10 - 15 points each. Then have SOP and other qualifications round out the rest of the process.

To scale the PTDF, one needs a large volume of prayers. That is all. Let us put an end to the speculation and duel on prayers. The interview will be over tomorrow, and what has happened has happened and can never be reversed. We wish ourselves the best of luck!

I don't think that is what he meant. He is obviously referring to the time the Olevels were written before gaining admission to the university. Exam malpractices have been going on since time immemorial.

XtraSmooth404:


Are you saying 16 - 18yrs old preparing for WAEC cheat just so they can apply for PTDF in future ? Or you're saying people who have graduated from universities rewrite waec solely for PTDF? I believe each waec result has the exam year on it so that shou send a red flag signal to PTDF.

If the latter is the case, then such student must be dumb cos the same energy can get you other world class scholarships that don't even need a waec certificate.

Liebermann:


Interviewers don't grade you based on what you write on your SOP or proposal. They do that based on how you verbally present and defend it. I wasn't even asked to present a hard copy. I'm sure same goes for a lot of people.

See ehn, I don't understand you. Grooming someone for interview isn't a problem. Past winners of Erasmus Mundus scholarships can attest to the help of mock interviews from past scholars. The way you guys downplay WAEC result like your reality is the same for millions of other students. Girls sleep for marks in school, some sort with cash, etc. How many Nigerian universities are world standard

This is what I have been emphasising too. May GOD favour us in JESUS Name. Amen.

Solicitor2040:


To scale the PTDF, one needs a large volume of prayers. That is all. Let us put an end to the speculation and duel on prayers. The interview will be over tomorrow, and what has happened has happened and can never be reversed. We wish ourselves the best of luck! 

My discoveries from that shortlisted list truly humbled me, so this back and forth argument isn't even helping. Let's kuku wait for the successful list. Whatever outcome, I can chest it.

XtraSmooth404:


Are you saying 16 - 18yrs old preparing for WAEC cheat just so they can apply for PTDF in future ? Or you're saying people who have graduated from universities rewrite waec solely for PTDF? I believe each waec result has the exam year on it so that shou send a red flag signal to PTDF.

If the latter is the case, then such student must be dumb cos the same energy can get you other world class scholarships that don't even need a waec certificate.

Thats the point, they don't check exam year nor do they care. Its easy to rewrite your O Levels like many people do with PTDF in mind, you can't really change your tertiary results once awarded. Since O'Levels offer an advantage for PTDF and not other scholarships, I don't see how that can really help them. A mediocre profile can hardly get you most scholarships, a mediocre profile with excellent O'Levels offer you a great advantage with PTDF thats the main issue here.

XtraSmooth404:


See ehn, I don't understand you. Grooming someone for interview isn't a problem. Past winners of Erasmus Mundus scholarships can attest to the help of mock interviews from past scholars. The way you guys downplay WAEC result like your reality is the same for millions of other students. Girls sleep for marks in school, some sort with cash, etc. How many Nigerian universities are world standard

Which is why the interview should be more rigorous and improvised to throw as many curveballs as possible to get a much better assessment of a persons knowledge. You keep mentioning university grades as if they don't carry 1/3rd of the marks that O Levels do and great O'Level grades are much easier to come by. Like I said, 10-15 marks (20-30 in total) seems fair for both.

Solicitor2040:


To scale the PTDF, one needs a large volume of prayers. That is all. Let us put an end to the speculation and duel on prayers. The interview will be over tomorrow, and what has happened has happened and can never be reversed. We wish ourselves the best of luck! 

No doubt.

I am yet to receive invite for virtual interviews. Please who has received already, thanks.

Dreldee:

Whatch this: A panelist being interviewed by PTDF on their Facebook page on assessment
https://fb.watch/dxJX0SYnG9/

See comrade wey interview local men oooooO

Honestly, the best way to have chosen MSc would have been transparent Aptitude Test which they were doing before.

Whether 1,2:1,2.2 , subject them to same aptitude test .

PhD could do interview.

Liebermann:


Which is why the interview should be more rigorous and improvised to throw as many curveballs as possible to get a much better assessment of a persons knowledge. You keep mentioning university grades as if they don't carry 1/3rd of the marks that O Levels do and a great O'Level grades are much easier to come by. Like I said, 10-15 marks (20-30 in total) seems fair for both.

Bro, whichever rating criterion you pick, there's a way to beat it. For example,

Awards, if you bring award letters or plaques, how do I verify the authenticity? Probably this was scrapped cos of too many fake awards.

WAEC, you've stated your point that people rewrite to boost their grades but the percentage is negligible, if you ask me. You can't comfortably plan with Nigerian government.

First degree? Masters? No much comment, we're familiar with Nigerian universities.

Professional membership? Just have your money, you can join as many as possible.

Published journals? Hire someone.

Interview defense? Get past scholars to prep you.

SoP or research proposal? Outsource this to Professional and pay them.

Which one did I miss?

tolaade1960:
Honestly, the best way to have chosen MSc would have been transparent Aptitude Test which they were doing before.

Whether 1,2:1,2.2 , subject them to same aptitude test .

PhD could do interview.

Aptitude tests were done in the past until people devised means to cheat the system.

XtraSmooth404:


Bro, whichever rating criterion you pick, there's a way to beat it. For example,

Awards, if you bring award letters or plaques, how do I verify the authenticity? Probably this was scrapped cos of too many fake awards.

WAEC, you've stated your point that people rewrite to boost their grades but the percentage is negligible, if you ask me. You can't comfortably plan with Nigerian government.

First degree? Masters? No much comment, we're familiar with Nigerian universities.

Professional membership? Just have your money, you can join as many as possible.

Published journals? Hire someone.

Interview defense? Get past scholars to prep you.

SoP or research proposal? Outsource this to Professional and pay them.

Which one did I miss?

Whoever wrote your SOP wont answer in depth questions about your field for you. My argument isnt that these criterias can't be unreliable is that something as unreliable as O Levels shouldn't carry as much weight as it does.

I think 'recommendation' from the p

babey543:


That was done by computer Programming.

But humans need to verify as people can lie.

Also SOP, Research Proposal, Membership and Publication score is given during interview. Some people have fake publication and membership that do not meet the acceptance criteria.


Programming can't do the above.

I only used my Waec results for the application. However during interview, the interviewers asked me to give them both my Waec and Neco, but I told them I didn't use my Neco for the application. They insisted that if I have my Neco I should still give them so they may pick the best results from the two.

I am tempted to ask this; if the software had graded the Waec results and the panel is only verifying, why did they ask of my Neco to pick the best scores from both Waec and Neco results knowing well that I didn't use the Neco results for the application (and was not graded by the software)?

Liebermann:


Whoever wrote your SOP wont answer in depth questions about your field for you. My argument isnt that these criterias can't be unreliable is that something as unreliable as O Levels shouldn't carry as much weight as it does.

He said O'level is unreliable

Sound scholars with straight A's will just be laughing at you while reading your comments.

You sound so sure about these fake waec results. One thing I know is I've not come across someone with sound waec results who can't defend it anywhere & anytime.

If I was PTDF, I'd simply make sure that the year you acquired your BSc isnt before the year you got your waec. Problem solved.