JAMB UTME Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the JAMB UTME, eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
₦4,700 (~$6)
Provider
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board
Validity
1 year
Available
Nigeria
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
1-3 years of hands-on experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- You must be 16 years old by 30 September of the admission year. Candidates below that age may only apply for the trial mock examination, unless they qualify through the exceptional-candidate route, which requires 80 percent in the UTME, the SSCE, the post-UTME and the exceptional candidates' examination.
- An 11-digit National Identification Number. You generate your JAMB profile code by texting the word NIN, a space, then your NIN, to 55019 or 66019 from your own phone.
- A unique mobile phone number that no other candidate has used with JAMB. It becomes your permanent identifier for every future transaction with the Board, and JAMB warns it must not be lost.
- A valid, personally accessible email address, which JAMB uses alongside the SIM for all communication including examination rescheduling.
- Payment of the registration fee. For the 2026 cycle the e-PIN cost 7,200 naira without the Mock and 8,700 naira with it, built from a 3,500 naira application fee, 1,000 naira for the prescribed reading text, a 700 naira CBT centre registration service charge, a 1,500 naira CBT centre UTME service charge and 500 naira of bank charges. Registration is cashless.
- Personal attendance at a JAMB-accredited CBT centre or Professional Registration Centre, where all ten fingerprints and a live photograph are captured. No scanned passport photograph is accepted, and registration by proxy is not permitted.
- O level results, or a declaration that you are awaiting them. JAMB states that no institutional recommendation will be considered if the candidate has not uploaded the result on the Board's portal.
- A verified subject combination from IBASS matching the course you intend to study, confirmed before you buy an e-PIN.
Number of Questions
180 questions: 60 in Use of English plus 40 in each of the three other subjects. JAMB scores each of the four subjects out of 100 for a 400 maximum, and the Registrar confirmed in May 2025 that the prescribed reading text carries 10 marks within the Use of English paper, so English items are not all worth the same.
Duration
Two hours per session. JAMB does not publish a single consolidated exam-format page stating the timing, and the Board runs four sittings a day, with 2026 arrival times of 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Question Format
Four-option multiple choice, A to D, across every subject, Reading comprehension passages with linked questions in Use of English, Cloze and sentence completion items testing lexis and structure, Oral English items on vowel and consonant sounds, word stress, emphatic stress and intonation, Questions drawn from the prescribed general reading text, worth 10 marks in Use of English, Calculation items in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Economics, Map, diagram and data interpretation items in Geography, Biology and Economics, Text-based items in Literature in English drawn from JAMB's prescribed drama, prose and poetry titles
Passing Requirement
No pass mark. The 2026 Policy Meeting set minimum tolerable admission scores of 150 for universities and colleges of nursing and 100 for polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, colleges of education and Innovation Enterprise Institutions. Individual institutions set higher cut-offs above that floor, and post-UTME screening then applies on top.
How It Is Delivered
Computer-based testing at JAMB-accredited CBT centres only, with biometric verification on entry. Candidates who fail biometric verification are rescheduled. Candidates with biometric challenges register and sit at JAMB National Headquarters in Abuja on the last day of the national examination calendar, with the Board facilitating travel expenses.
Languages Offered
English. Language subjects such as Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, French and Arabic are examined in their own language, but the paper as a whole is delivered in English.
Visit the official Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
0 to 400. Four subjects, each scored out of 100: Use of English plus three course-required subjects.
Score You Need
No pass mark. The 2026 Policy Meeting set minimum tolerable admission scores of 150 for universities and colleges of nursing and 100 for polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, colleges of education and Innovation Enterprise Institutions. Individual institutions set higher cut-offs above that floor, and post-UTME screening then applies on top.
How It Is Calculated
Multiple choice with four options and no negative marking, so wrong and unattempted answers both score zero. Items are not uniformly weighted inside Use of English: JAMB's Registrar confirmed in May 2025 that the prescribed reading text carries 10 marks in that paper. JAMB moved from form-based to single item-based delivery for the 2025 UTME, which the Board described as the current international standard. The Registrar has publicly characterised UTME as a selection and ranking test rather than an achievement test.
When You Get Results
Results are released in batches as the examination proceeds, typically within days of a candidate's sitting, and are viewed through the candidate's JAMB profile. There is no unofficial on-screen score at the end of the session. A printed result slip is a separate purchase at 1,000 naira plus a 100 naira service charge.
In raw terms: Each subject converts to a mark out of 100, and the four are summed. As a benchmark against the national field, JAMB's published 2025 distribution puts 200 and above at 21.50 percent of candidates, 250 and above at 3.76 percent, and 300 and above at 0.63 percent.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the JAMB UTME?
You must be 16 years old by 30 September of the admission year. Candidates below that age may only apply for the trial mock examination, unless they qualify through the exceptional-candidate route, which requires 80 percent in the UTME, the SSCE, the post-UTME and the exceptional candidates' examination.. An 11-digit National Identification Number. You generate your JAMB profile code by texting the word NIN, a space, then your NIN, to 55019 or 66019 from your own phone.. A unique mobile phone number that no other candidate has used with JAMB. It becomes your permanent identifier for every future transaction with the Board, and JAMB warns it must not be lost.. A valid, personally accessible email address, which JAMB uses alongside the SIM for all communication including examination rescheduling.. Payment of the registration fee. For the 2026 cycle the e-PIN cost 7,200 naira without the Mock and 8,700 naira with it, built from a 3,500 naira application fee, 1,000 naira for the prescribed reading text, a 700 naira CBT centre registration service charge, a 1,500 naira CBT centre UTME service charge and 500 naira of bank charges. Registration is cashless.. Personal attendance at a JAMB-accredited CBT centre or Professional Registration Centre, where all ten fingerprints and a live photograph are captured. No scanned passport photograph is accepted, and registration by proxy is not permitted.. O level results, or a declaration that you are awaiting them. JAMB states that no institutional recommendation will be considered if the candidate has not uploaded the result on the Board's portal.. A verified subject combination from IBASS matching the course you intend to study, confirmed before you buy an e-PIN..
How much does the JAMB UTME cost?
The JAMB UTME exam costs ₦4,700 (~$6). This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the JAMB UTME?
Visit the official Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the JAMB UTME?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for JAMB UTME?
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