Iraq authorizes universities to grant extra points to master's applicants

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Abdulhussein al-Musawi, has approved granting universities the authority to award additional points when processing master's degree admission results. Under the decision, university, faculty and institute administrations, along with governing boards of independent academic institutions, may award up to five extra points to candidates who scored between 40 and 44 on the entrance examination. The extra points can be applied only when unfilled seats are available within an institution's admission plan. According to the Government Information and Communications Department, vacant places are to be filled by ranking candidates who hold the highest supplementary scores. The ministry required that all admissions procedures be completed within three days of the notification date and that they cover every educational institution. It also instructed universities to prepare the administrative orders required to formalize admissions immediately after the process concludes, in line with the approved criteria.