In terms of securing admission; Nigeria tertiary institutions are one of the most competitive in the world, no thanks to the number of applicants that enroll for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) yearly and the paltry number that are offered admission.
This guide is therefore developed to help Applicants:
Make career choice based on their area of strength
Select schools where they have best chance of admission
Prepare adequately for the UTME, and
Increase their chance of admission to the school/course of choice
2. Preamble:
In terms of securing admission; Nigeria tertiary institutions are one of
the most competitive in the world, no thanks to the number of
applicants that enroll for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination (UTME) yearly and the paltry number that are offered
admission.
From past UTME records; majority of candidates score below the
average (200 of 400 In fact, 44.78% scored 200 and above in the last
200 400). 44.78%
UTME 2012 while 2011 recorded 40%, this has been the trend even
40%
for the past 4 years. UTME score contributes greatly to the chance of
admission;
admission quite a number are denied admission or offered another
course because their scores were below the set cut-off.
This guide is therefore developed to help Applicants:
Make career choice based on their area of strength
Select schools where they have best chance of admission
Prepare adequately for the UTME, and
Increase their chance of admission to the school/course of choice
3. Content:
What Course Should I Study?
Choosing a Course & School
UTME Study Strategy
5. What Course Should I Study?
The first investment to make is not to buy JAMB form
as soon as it is on sale; your first step is to know the
course you want to study and possibly why.
No Course is more important than the other, and
neither is your course better than that of your friends,
all courses were created for definite purpose, to
impact specific knowledge and for different people.
6. What Course Should I Study?
If you have hurriedly made up your mind on the
course to study, “what Curse is that course going to
break”?
break”
In plain term, what solution is that course going to
provide to Social, Health, Economic, Human, Political,
etc. problems?
You should study a course only if it has Global
relevance but providing solution in your environment.
A course may sound good to the ears but lack
relevance today and in the coming age. This is how
people set themselves up for joblessness.
7. What Course Should I Study?
According to the former Minister of Education;
Dr. Oby Ezekwesili:
8. What Course Should I Study?
According to Senior Secondary School classifications;
students belong to; Sciences Arts or Commercial
Sciences, Commercial.
From the UTME 2012 Brochure, which contains at least
570 courses;
Science students can select from 440 courses in
faculty of Administration, Medical, Sciences, Sciences, Education,
Agriculture, Engineering and Social Sciences
Arts student can select from 257 courses in faculty of
Law, Arts, Social Sciences, Education and Administration
Commercial students can select from 181 courses in
faculty of Administration, Education and Social Sciences
The next content will guide you on how to choose your course of study
9. “It is what we do easily
and what we like to do
that we do well”.
Orison Swett Marden
10. Choosing a Course and School
A good sign that you will do well in any course, is how
well you perform in UTME, the same goes for how well
you perform in the core subject of your course of study.
I recommend two Approaches:
Aspiration is as easy as selecting a course that is in
line with who you dreamt becoming…..a Doctor –
Medicine & Surgery, a Lawyer – Law, etc. Therefore, I
will concentrate more on Aptitude
Aptitude.
11. Choosing a Course – Aptitude
is:
The first test is:
- Arrange your O-Level results in order of excellence. Put the
one with the best grade first and continue till no subject is
left. Whichever subjects you rank 1st, 2nd and 3rd, they
should be core subjects of the course you intend to study.
is:
The second test is:
- Buy UTME past questions for at least 6 Subjects
Sciences – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Math, Agric, Geography, Economics
Arts – Lit. in English, Govt., History, CRS/IRS, Fine Arts, Languages, Music,
Arabic, Home Economics
Commercial – Accounting, Economics, Commerce, Geography, Math, CRS/IRS
2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007
12. Choosing a Course – Aptitude
What is your score in each subject?
2004 2005 2006 2007 Average Sum your score
Subject 1 per year for each
Subject 2 Subject, divide the
Subject 3 sum by 4.
Subject 4
Subject 5
That value is your
average
Subject 6
performance per
Subject 7
subject
…..
Now, rank the average scores for each Subject, select
the best 3, what are they?
!
13. Choosing a Course – Aptitude
JAMB celebrate the highest score irrespective of the
subject the candidate was tested on.
So, whatever subject you excel greatly in, they will help
you secure admission easier if you choose them in UTME.
In 2009, Irene Edem scored 310, she applied to study
Communications at the ABTI-American University of
Nigeria, Yola.
None of the top 15 candidates, whose marks ranged between 298
and 310 applied to study the Sciences – Communication (3) ,
Economics (3) and History (3). Law, Accounting, Industrial
Relations, Urban & Regional Planning, etc. had a candidate each.
14. Choosing a Course – Competitiveness
Some Courses are highly competitive; usually, they are the desire of
most applicant but very few are admitted. So if you must choose
ensure your UTME score is closer to 300…the closer the better.
University Colleges of Education
Polytechnic
15. Choosing a School
Nigeria currently has:
124 Universities
185 Polytechnics / Monotechnics
102 Colleges of Education
203 Technical Colleges
82 Innovation Enterprise Institutions
Whichever of the above you decide to study at, there are
some basic guidelines you must consider:
16. Policy!!!
Choosing a School - Admission Policy!!!
Merit
ELPS
(45%) Catchment (20%)
(25%)
The Rule is:
- You are more likely to be admitted in schools that have
your state of origin as their Catchment area
- State schools have preference for their Indigenes
- Candidates from ELPS are also given special preference
ELPS – Educational Less Privileged States
17. Choosing a School – Competitiveness
Some schools are highly competitive; they admit far less
than 10% of their applicants, so if you must choose them be
sure you put in extra effort to earn great UTME score.
They are: University
Colleges of Education
Polytechnic
18. “There are no secrets to
success. It is the result of
Preparation, Hard work,
and Learning from failure”.
Colin Powell
19. UTME Study Strategy
By now, you should have a chosen at least a course and the
corresponding UTME Subjects – 3 and Use of English
English.
November December January February March Total
Days 30 31 31 28 31 151
Weeks 5 5 5 4 5 24
Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the weekend PQ
Week - 1 Achieving my weekend PQ (1988) weekend PQ (1993) weekend PQ (1997) (2001)
Admission Goal -
at one attempt! Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the weekend PQ
Week - 2 weekend PQ (1989) weekend PQ (1994) weekend PQ (1999) (2003)
What Course Should I
Expect
Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the weekend PQ
Week - 3 Study? / Choosing a
Course and School weekend PQ (1991) weekend PQ (1995) weekend PQ (2000) (2008) the
PQ (2002) - exam
Best!
Study + at the Study + at the Study + at the weekend PQ
Week - 4 Study Strategy weekend PQ (1992) weekend PQ (1996) condition 3hrs
(2009)
30min
PQ (1990) - exam PQ (1998) - exam
PQ (2010) - exam condition
Week - 5 Study Begins (4 Subjects) condition 3hrs condition 3hrs
3hrs 30min
30min 30min
Remember to buy your JAMB form as soon as possible!
20. UTME Study Strategy
According to the table, Study Strategy starts from Week 4.
This is where you are expected to come up with a plan on
how to study for the forthcoming exam.
I have simplified it, just follow some few explanations. JAMB
Syllabus,
Syllabus Recommended Text and Past Questions are vital for
your preparation:
Syllabus – 4 Subjects
Recommended textbooks – 1 main and others as reference
Past Questions – 1988 to 2012 (25 past questions)
21. UTME Study Strategy - Syllabus
The JAMB Syllabus contains all that you are required to
understand and would be tested on in the UTME.
From the 1st week of Dec, assume UTME holds April 1st
week, it would be exactly 19 weeks to JAMB 2013 exam.
How many topics are listed for each of your UTME Subject?
Per subject, divide the No. of Topics by No. of weeks; this will
show the number of Topics you are expected to cover per
week for each UTME subject.
Economics;
Assume Economics Topic per Week =
Total topics = 24
Total weeks = 19 Over a Topic per week!
22. UTME Study Strategy – Past Questions
You are expected to do this for each UTME Subject, this way
you can properly plan your reading time.
There are total of 25years Past questions (1988 – 2012).
Having used 4years Past Questions to arrive at the subjects
you are best at; we are left with 21years Past Questions.
If you divide 21years Pass Questions by 19 Weeks, this
means you should practice 1 Past Question per week. There
are two approaches:
- Finish a topic and attempt all past questions from 1988
to 2012 where the topic appeared, or
- Take one year past question and attempt the questions
relevant to the Topic just studied.
See the general table for guide
23. UTME Study Strategy – Past Questions
At the last week of every month, you are expected to
examine yourself with a past question under exam
condition of 3hrs:30minutes.
…in case you still have questions…