Selection Process
JAMB UTME Selection Process
JAMB UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination)
The UTME score alone does not admit anyone. It is the first of several stages, and the institution a candidate applies to makes the final decision using the UTME score together with its own screening and the candidate O-level results.
Registration and profile creation
The candidate creates a profile, obtains a registration PIN, and enters biometric details at an accredited centre. Course and institution choices are made at this stage.
The UTME itself
A computer-based test of 180 questions in two hours: 60 in Use of English and 40 in each of the three chosen subjects. There is no penalty for a wrong answer.
Results and scores
Each of the four subjects is scaled to 100, so the total is out of 400. Institutions set their own cut-off marks, which differ sharply by course and by institution.
Institutional screening
Candidates who meet an institution cut-off are invited for its own screening, which may be a test, an interview, or a check of documents and O-level results.
Admission offer
Offers are made through the central admissions system, where a candidate accepts or rejects the offer. Admission is only final once it is accepted there.
Because there is no negative marking, the arithmetic of guessing is simple: an unanswered question scores zero and a guess cannot score less. Time management on this paper is about making sure every one of the 180 questions has an answer recorded.
How this page is sourced
The stages above describe the UTME process as it is consistently reported across independent current sources. The official JAMB brochure could not be read directly from the network this site is built on, so cut-off marks, screening formats and deadlines should be confirmed against the official site and the institution you are applying to before you act on them. JAMB.