There are various reasons why you are on this site. You’re probably a new JAMB candidate, a returnee, or someone who is just seeking information on JAMB. Whichever category you belong to in the aforementioned, you might have in mind to ask one question. This one question is common amongst students who are sitting or about to seat for the JAMB examination. That question should be, “how do I get a high score in my JAMB examinations?”
I asked similar questions too when I was a JAMB candidate some time ago. Passing the cutoff mark was the target, but for me, I wanted to exceed 250 because I needed a high score to get my dream course. Being a secondary school graduate, I relied solely on what I was taught then in school to pass. Of course, it was my first time, so I did not know if I was following this the right way or the wrong way. I practiced with hardcopy past questions then and I felt I was prepared. The day of the examination came and I went in to write. After a few days, results were out, and like every other candidate, I went to a cyber café to check my results and get them too. I typed in my JAMB registration number while murmuring prayers, and there it was staring back at me. I got a 198. I wasn’t even above the cut-off mark. I was so disappointed. I knew I did not do so well, I knew my mistakes. I made up my mind that I was going to get it right next time. I asked questions from others who wrote successfully and got tips from them, so I started working towards it. Also, I knew I do not only need to work hard, but to work smart.
Now, how do you score high in JAMB? While I asked questions from successful candidates, a lot of friends shared a lot of useful tips with me. I knew I couldn’t make use of all that I learnt at the time, however I practiced a few of the tips and they helped me achieve my goal.
Below are some of what I tried out:
How To Score High in JAMB – Useful Tips and Strategies
GETTING PREPARED ON TIME:
Like I earlier pointed out, I relied solely on what I was taught in secondary school and then past question papers (hardcopy). Don’t get me wrong, what you see in the examination hall is what you were taught in school. However, you should keep in mind that JAMB tests your level of comprehension of a subject. So you need to think like someone who is ready to be in a higher institution, and you don’t do that by taking things for granted. In my case, I took a lot for granted. I wasn’t preparing for my exam, and three weeks to the due date was when I decided to glance through the past questions. I had little time to fully prepare, and when I finally got in, what I met in the hall was not in consonance with I thought I knew. However, I did my best and we all know the outcome. It is advised you start reading on time, not just for JAMB, but for any examination. It will prepare you mentally for what you would see in the hall.
PRACTICE WITH PAST QUESTION:
Buying past questions was probably the best idea I had the first time I wrote Jamb. I would say, it was a perfect example of doing the right thing at the wrong time. That was because, I should have purchased it on time and used it to practice. So the next thing you should have in mind while preparing on time is buying past questions. You need past question papers to give you a hint, on what you should expect, and how you should expect it. It will prepare your brain to understand the twisted ways these questions can be set. These twisted ways are there to test your level of reasoning, and practicing with past questions will help you think differently.
ATTEND JAMB TUTORIALS:
One of the best techniques that helped me during my second missionary journey (writing Jamb), was registering for tutorials. Going through the past questions I noticed that I wasn’t so knowledgeable to handle some of the questions. So with the help of some friends, I registered for tutorials and it helped a lot. I was taught easier and faster ways to solve some mathematical problems. I was taught how to use some English words better and it helped a lot. So you should consider getting tutorials. It will go a long way in helping you pass your JAMB examination.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING:
When I wrote JAMB for the first time, the main issue I had was with timing. It is usually the problem with a lot of new candidates. While practicing, make sure you are timing yourself. When I wrote JAMB, we were to shade our answers with OMR sheets. Nowadays, we have the computer-based test and you know the timing is usually faster. The computer will automatically log you out, once you time has exhausted. So while practicing, it is important to do so by timing yourself. You can go online and practice with CBT. It will help you utilize your time well. If you don’t get a question, you can skip to the next and revisit it later.
READ WITH THE SYLLABUS PROVIDED:
JAMB provides a syllabus every year for each exam to be taken. This syllabus contains areas of concentration for each subject you are to take. It is important to use it in your preparation for the exam so that you won’t read topics that are not related to what you would be expecting. In summary, the syllabus is like a guide. It tells you the path to follow, meaning, it will tell you topics to treat under each subject. So make the syllabus that was provided to you, your guide.
These steps helped me a lot the second time and I wish I had known all these the first time I wrote Jamb. Experience taught me that preparation is very important, even with all the reading and memorizing. Getting well prepared for the second time, helped me achieve my goal. My target was to get a 250 score in jamb but I got 259 eventually. That was an extra 9 points, and it was enough for my dream course.
Remember to be punctual on the D-day. It will aid you, not to be on edge during your exam. Good luck with your preparations and your exam.
