Acing the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) UTME exam requires not only extensive preparation but also insight into the marking scheme. Understanding how your performance will be scored can help you strategize more effectively to maximize your marks.
In this post, we will explore the ins and outs of the JAMB UTME marking scheme. You’ll learn all about the exam’s scoring system, how many marks each question carries, the sections that are marked, and even how your scores will be processed.
Whether you are looking to decipher the intricacies of the JAMB scoring matrix for the first time or need a quick refresher, this post will cover the marking scheme. We will breakdown the metrics for the different test subjects as well as shed light on recent changes introduced by JAMB.
With knowledge of the precise marking guidelines, you can approach your exam preparation and responses more strategically. Our detailed insights will help demystify the UTME marking scheme so you know exactly where marks lie and how to earn them on test day.
Let’s dive in.
Breakdown of the JAMB Marking Scheme
The JAMB UTME marking scheme is applied to the four sections of the exam – Use of English and three other subjects depending on the student’s intended major.
For Use of English, the JAMB UTME marking scheme allocates marks as:
- Section A: Comprehension – 45 marks
- Section B: Lexis, structure and oral forms – 45 marks
- Section C: Sentence construction, punctuation and spelling – 10 marks
Total marks for English under the JAMB UTME marking scheme is 100.
For the other three JAMB UTME subjects, the marking scheme allots:
- 40 multiple choice questions per subject
- 2.5 marks per question
- Total 100 marks per subject
Therefore, the total marks for the three subjects under the JAMB UTME marking scheme is 3 x 100 = 300 marks.
In summary, the JAMB UTME marking scheme structure is:
- English: 100 marks
- Other subjects: 300 marks
- Total UTME marks: 400
JAMB Marking Scheme: Use of English Language
SECTION A:
- Comprehension Passages: 5 Questions multiply by 3 marks each = 15 marks
- Cloze Passage: 10 Questions multiply by 2 marks each = 20 marks
- Reading Text: 10 Questions multiply by 2 marks each = 20 marks
Total section mark is 45 marks
SECTION B:
- Sentence Interpretation: 5 Questions multiply by 2 marks each = 10 marks
- Antonyms: 5 Questions multiply by 2 marks each = 10 marks
- Synonyms: 5 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 5 marks
- Basic Grammar: 10 Questions multiply by 2 marks each = 20 marks
Total section mark is 45 marks
SECTION C:
- Vowels: 2 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 2 marks
- Consonants: 2 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 2 marks
- Rhymes: 2 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 2 marks
- Word Stress: 2 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 2 marks
- Emphatic Stress: 2 Questions multiply by 1 mark each = 2 marks
Total section mark is 10 marks
OTHER SUBJECTS:
- Other subjects, such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, are 300 marks out of a total of 400 marks.
- Each subject has 40 questions, and each question is worth 2.5 marks.
- There are no negative marks for incorrect answers.
Scenario:
Let’s say that John is taking the JAMB UTME exam. He chooses to take English Language, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
- English Language: John answers 40 out of 45 questions correctly in Section A and B. He also did good in Section C. The marker gave him 9 out of 10 marks.
- Mathematics: John answers 30 out of 40 questions correctly in Mathematics.
- Physics: John answers 25 out of 40 questions correctly in Physics.
- Chemistry: John answers 20 out of 40 questions correctly in Chemistry.
John’s overall score is calculated as follows:
English Language: 40 + 40 + 9 = 89 marks
Mathematics: 30 x 2.5 = 75 marks
Physics: 25 x 2.5 = 62.5 marks
Chemistry: 20 x 2.5 = 50 marks
Total: 94 + 75 + 62.5 + 50 = 276.5 marks
John’s overall score is 276.5 marks out of a possible 400 marks.
Note: It is important to note that the JAMB UTME marking scheme can vary slightly from year to year. However, the basic principles remain the same.
Final note
The marking scheme awards marks across multiple choice and essay sections under four exam subjects, aggregating them into a total score out of 400. This score determines if a candidate qualifies for admission into their desired university courses based on the specific JAMB UTME cut-off marks set.
FAQ
No candidate has ever scored a perfect 400/400 in the JAMB exam under the current marking scheme. The highest JAMB UTME score ever recorded is 380/400 which was achieved by two candidates:
Agnes Maduafokwa in 1994 from Anambra state scored 380/400 in the 1994 JAMB exam. This made news as the first time any candidate scored over 300 marks out of 400.
Uzochukwu Emenike in 2020 from Abia State also scored 380/400 marks. He missed getting the first-ever perfect score by just 20 marks.
The minimum pass score for the JAMB UTME exam is 180/400 marks. This means a candidate must score at least 180 marks out of the total 400 marks in order to qualify for admission into any university in Nigeria.
However, most schools and competitive courses have higher JAMB cut-off marks, sometimes up to 250/400 or above.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is generally considered to be relatively simple and straightforward by most students.
The exam questions test knowledge and skills at the senior secondary school level, covering topics in the Nigerian academic curriculum that 12th grade students would typically be familiar with. As such, the content itself is manageable for most students preparing for university admission.
Yes, it is possible for some mistakes or errors to occur in the JAMB UTME exam and evaluation process, although generally JAMB strives to maintain accuracy.
However, JAMB has mechanisms to check and correct anomalies. Students can apply for remarking or resit exams if any lapse affected their scores. JAMB also proactively screens out ambiguous questions and cautions examiners to be meticulous when marking.