UTME 2026: How to Improve Your JAMB Score, Boost Admission Chances
- Going by the words of James Baker, the former U.S. Secretary of State, “proper preparation prevents poor performance"
- For students to excel in JAMB's UTME 2026, candidates need to know certain tips
- With the right approach and following the step-by-step study plan adopted by past top scorers, JAMB candidates can score 340+ in UTME
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf brings over nine years of experience reporting on education across Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - Education stakeholders and former UTME candidates who scored above 340 attribute their success largely to discipline, sacrifice, and focus.
In separate interviews, they also pinpointed commitment and spiritual uprightness as other secrets behind their success stories in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Source: Facebook
How to excel in JAMB's UTME 2026
In an interview with Legit.ng, Adesegun Ogungbayi, the board chairman of MIMS Educational Resources Limited, said admission seekers need determination to score a very high mark in the UTME.
Prince Ogungbayi stated that UTME candidates can “break more academic grounds” like Umeh Nkechinyere, who topped JAMB's scoring chart in 2023 with an outstanding mark of 360/400.
The expert said:
“You only need a high level of determination and focus, embedded with moral perfection and spiritual uprightness to stand out.”
In the same vein, some 2025 UTME candidates who scored above 340 overall, including over 90 in Mathematics, largely credited their success to hard work.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, the candidates also pinpointed prayer and commitment as other secrets behind their stories.
16-year-old Olarenwaju Okubanjo from Christ Ambassadors International College, Ibadan, credited his success to hard work. Okubanjo noted that his efforts and prayers paid off with a score of 97 in Mathematics and 360 overall.
The young scholar advised his colleagues to keep reading and practising, assuring them of success eventually.
JAMB: Tips from young achievers
Similarly, Chinedu Okeke, the 2025 UTME top scorer, shared with The Punch his journey to success: the discipline it demanded, the sacrifices he made, and the lessons every Nigerian student can learn.
Okeke revealed:
"I made sure to study consistently. I read my textbooks and notes from school and from the UTME lessons I attended. I was enrolled in a tutorial centre, and they really helped a lot.
"They had facilities like CBT (Computer-Based Test) systems, so I could practise weekly. I also used UTME past questions and worked on them every day. I started preparing early and was very consistent with my studies."
Source: Facebook
Agnes Maduafokwa, the assistant head girl of Louisville Girls High School, Ijebu-Itele in Ogun State, who achieved the highest score in the 2020 UTME, shared the secrets behind her remarkable performance.
In an interview with The Guardian, Maduafokwa explained:
"In my school, people study a lot. Sometimes they read into the night when they are supposed to be sleeping.
"Personally, I believe that the way to do things is to trust your system. When you are supposed to sleep, you should sleep because sleep is very essential.
"If you have an examination, I feel that you don’t have to burn the midnight oil because if you have been working hard from day one, there is no reason to read extra hard the night before the exam.
"Apart from that, when you read too much, you might not be able to remember everything, because it is called 'fast reading.' But when you read at intervals and breaks, sleep when you are supposed to, it really helps a lot, and that’s what I do."
Read more on JAMB:
- Excited 94-year-old Nigerian man registers for 2025 UTME, says “I can now attain my dream”
- UTME 2025: 10 common costly mistakes JAMB candidates must avoid
UTME 2026: JAMB releases registration guidelines
Legit.ng also reported that JAMB had released detailed guidelines for the registration of candidates for the 2026 UTME.
Prospective candidates are required to have a National Identification Number (NIN), an email address, and other details.
The JAMB 2026 UTME form will be on sale from January 31, 2026, until March 8, 2026, with the requirements already out.
Source: Legit.ng
