How to Prepare for JAMB and Improve Your Score

A good UTME score opens the door to your dream course. This guide covers registration, a study plan that works, and exam-day tips for the computer-based test.

Illustration of a student at a computer with books and a target

📋 JAMB at a glance

4 subjectsUse of English + 3 for your course

400highest possible score

CBTtaken on a computer

The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is written on computers at accredited CBT centres. Use of English is compulsory for everyone; your other three subjects depend on the course you want. For 2026, JAMB set the minimum admission score at 150 for universities and 100 for polytechnics — but competitive courses like Medicine, Law and Engineering need far more.

📝 Register the right way

Get your NIN firstYou need a National Identification Number. Send NIN followed by your 11-digit number to 55019 or 66019 from your own line to get a profile code.
Buy the e-PINPay through JAMB’s approved channels. In 2026 the fee was ₦7,200 without the mock exam and ₦8,700 with it.
Register at an accredited CBT centreYour fingerprints and photo are captured. Check your subjects, course and institution choices carefully before you leave.
Print your exam slipWhen JAMB opens slip printing, it shows your date, time and centre. Visit the centre a day before if you can.

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Avoid fake agents

Do not register through people who promise “special centres” or guaranteed high scores. JAMB has warned repeatedly about fake registration agents and “runs”.

📚 A study plan that works

📖

Use the JAMB syllabus

Questions come from the official syllabus. Tick off each topic as you cover it.

Free on JAMB site

📘

Read the recommended novel

Use of English includes questions from a set literature text. Read it at least twice.

Easy marks

🗂️

Past questions every day

JAMB repeats patterns. Do past questions under time pressure, then study what you got wrong.

Most important

💻

Practise on a computer

Use CBT practice apps so the screen, mouse and timer feel normal on exam day.

Confidence

⏱️

Time yourself

You have about 2 hours for 180 questions — under a minute each. Speed comes with practice.

Speed

👥

Study with a group

Explaining a topic to friends is the fastest way to find out what you do not understand.

Motivation

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Exam strategy

Do not get stuck on one question. Answer the ones you know first, flag the hard ones and come back. There is no negative marking, so never leave a question blank.

✅ Exam day checklist

Your printed exam slip
Arrive early — late candidates may be turned away
No phones, smart watches or calculators unless allowed
Eat before you go and drink water
Read each question fully before you click

📨 After the exam

Check your result by sending UTMERESULT to 55019 from the number you registered with, then print your result slip from JAMB’s e-facility portal when it is available. Next, watch your chosen school’s Post-UTME announcements and keep checking JAMB CAPS for admission offers.

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Check the official source

Exact dates and fees change every year. Always confirm on jamb.gov.ng or JAMB’s official social media pages.

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Join the conversation

What score are you targeting in JAMB? · Past candidates: what helped you most when preparing?

Frequently asked questions

What is the JAMB cut-off mark for 2026?

JAMB set 150 as the minimum for universities and 100 for polytechnics and colleges of education, but each school and course can set a higher mark.

How do I get my JAMB profile code?

Send NIN followed by your 11-digit National Identification Number to 55019 or 66019 from the phone number you will use for registration.

Is there negative marking in JAMB?

No. Wrong answers do not remove marks, so answer every question.

How do I check my JAMB result?

Send UTMERESULT to 55019 from the phone number you used to register, or log in to the JAMB e-facility portal.

Written by the askJBoss team from public information and our own research; last updated October 2026. Prices, dates and rules change — always confirm with the official source. Spotted something that has changed? Tell us in the comments.