Abstract. A surjective mapping/: X -Vis exactly (n, 1) if/"'( v) contains exactly n points for each y E Y. We show that if Y is a continuum such that each nondegenerate subcontinuum of Y has an endpoint, and if 2 « n < oc, then there is no exactly («, 1) mapping from any continuum onto V. However, if Y is a continuum which contains a nonunicoherent subcontinuum, then such an (n, 1) mapping exists. Therefore, a Peano continuum is a dendrite if and only if for each n (2 =í n < oo) there is no exactly (n, 1) mapping from any continuum onto Y. We also show that for each positive integer n there is an exactly (n, 1) mapping from the Hubert cube onto itself.