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JAMB UTME study materials
JAMB UTME study resources

JAMB UTME study guide

JAMB UTME · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), run by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), is the computer-based test used for entry into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and innovation enterprise institutions. JAMB's mandate to conduct the matriculation examination derives from Act No. 2 of 1978, as amended by Decree No. 33 of 1989, which took effect on 7 December 1989. Candidates typically sit four subjects: Use of English plus three subjects relevant to their intended course. The 2026 Policy Meeting approved minimum tolerable admission scores of 150 for universities and colleges of nursing, and 100 for polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges of agriculture, colleges of education and IEIs; the minimum admission age remains 16. Topics on this exam: Use of English and Subject Combination (three/four subjects chosen by candidate). The JAMB UTME study guide has 2 sections and about 610 words.

01

Use of English: Comprehension, Summary, Grammar and Oral Forms

The Use of English paper is compulsory for every UTME candidate and carries 60 multiple-choice questions. It tests comprehension, summary, vocabulary, grammar (lexis and structure), oral forms (vowel sounds, stress, intonation) and idioms. It is not a literature paper; passages are informational or argumentative, and answers must be tied to the text. Comprehension: answer only from the passage.

280 words, about 1 min02

Subject Combination: Choosing the Three Supporting UTME Subjects

Every UTME candidate sits four subjects: Use of English plus three others. The three must match the course you apply for in the JAMB Integrated Brochure and Syllabus. There is no single “general” combination. For Medicine and Surgery the brochure lists English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

330 words, about 2 min

More study resources for JAMB UTME

  • Practice questionsChoose the option that best completes the sentence: The committee, after long deliberation, its decision to the registrar yesterday.
  • FlashcardsConcord (subject-verb agreement). The verb agrees with its subject in number.
  • Cheat sheetComprehension strategy: read the passage questions first, then locate each answer's sentence; JAMB comprehension items reward textual evidence over general knowledge.
  • Key termsRegister. The variety of language chosen to suit a particular situation, audience, or purpose, ranging from formal to informal.
  • Study planMap the JAMB UTME syllabus for English and your three chosen subjects, listing every topic and marking each as strong, shaky, or unknown.
  • Common mistakesUnder time pressure candidates scan for familiar vocabulary and stop at the first option containing a passage word; JAMB comprehension items deliberately include distractors built from verbatim passage wording.
  • Exam-day guideLog into your JAMB profile and print the slip showing your registration number, examination centre, date and time.