JAMB Marking Scheme & Grading System 2027/2028: The JAMB UTME grading system is based on a total score of 400 points, comprising 60 questions for Use of English (100 marks) and 40 questions for each of the other three chosen subjects (100 marks per subject, calculated at 2.5 marks per question).

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has retained 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for university and nursing admissions for the 2027/2028 academic session. Polytechnics will admit candidates from 100 marks, while the decision was unanimously approved at the 2026 JAMB Policy Meeting in Abuja.

The meeting also reaffirmed 16 years as the minimum admission age, declared admissions outside JAMB CAPS illegal, and announced that from 2027, UTME candidates may be allowed to use their personal devices (BYOD) for the examination to improve efficiency and reduce costs. A total of 2,243,816 candidates sat the 2026 UTME, and they are advised to monitor their admission status through the JAMB CAPS portal once admissions begin.

JAMB Marking Scheme & Grading System 2027/2028

Many JAMB candidates believe that all 60 Use of English questions carry the same mark. This is not true. JAMB uses a weighted marking system for the Use of English paper, meaning some questions carry more marks than others because they test different skills.

This is why two candidates who answer the same number of English questions correctly may end up with different scores.

Why Use of English Is Different

Use of English is the only compulsory subject for every UTME candidate, regardless of the course they want to study. Because it tests reading, grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills, JAMB gives different weights to different sections.

Although you answer 60 questions, your final English score is converted to 100 marks.

So, the examination is not scored as “1 mark per question.”

SECTION A: Comprehension and Summary

This section carries the highest marks because JAMB considers reading comprehension one of the most important language skills.

1. Comprehension Passage

• Usually 5 questions
• 3 marks each

Example:

If you answer all five correctly:

5 × 3 = 15 marks

2. Cloze Passage (Register)

Usually 10 questions

Each question carries 2 marks

Total:

10 × 2 = 20 marks

A cloze passage is a paragraph with missing words. You choose the correct word that best completes each blank.

For example:

The principal _____ the students yesterday.

A. punish

B. punished

C. punishing

D. punishment

Correct answer:

Punished

3. Reading Text (Recommended Novel)

Usually 10 questions

Each question carries 1 mark

Total:

10 × 1 = 10 marks

These questions come from the prescribed JAMB novel (or recommended reading text for that examination year).

SECTION B: Lexis and Structure

This section tests your grammar and vocabulary.

Sentence Interpretation

Usually 5 questions

Each carries 2 marks

Total:

5 × 2 = 10 marks

Antonym

Usually 5 questions

Each carries 2 marks

Total:

5 × 2 = 10 marks

Synonyms

Usually 5 questions

Each carries 1 mark

Total:

5 × 1 = 5 marks

Sentence Completion

Usually 10 questions

Each carries 1 mark

Total:

10 × 1 = 10 marks

SECTION C: Oral Forms

Usually 10 questions

Each carries 1 mark

Total:

10 × 1 = 10 marks

These questions test pronunciation, stress patterns, vowel sounds, consonant sounds, and rhyming words.

English Question Distribution

Section	Questions	Marks per Question	Total Marks
Comprehension	5	3	15
Cloze Passage	10	2	20
Reading Text	10	1	10
Sentence Interpretation	5	2	10
Antonyms	5	2	10
Synonyms	5	1	5
Sentence Completion	10	1	10
Oral Forms	10	1	10
Total	60	—	100

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How JAMB Calculates Your English Score

Suppose you answer 45 out of 60 questions correctly.

JAMB does not simply record 45 marks. Instead, your performance is converted to a score out of 100.

The calculation is:

45 ÷ 60 × 100 = 75

Your official Use of English score becomes:

75/100

This percentage conversion standardizes English scores on the same 100-mark scale as every other UTME subject.

How JAMB Marks the Other Three Subjects

Unlike English, the other three UTME subjects use a much simpler marking system.

Each subject contains:

• 40 questions
• Each question carries 2.5 marks

Therefore:

40 × 2.5 = 100 marks

This means every question has equal value.

Example

Suppose your subjects are:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology

You score:

• Physics: 25/40
• Chemistry: 25/40
• Biology: 25/40

Each score is calculated as:

25 × 2.5 = 62.5

JAMB rounds this to approximately 63 marks.

So your scores become:

• Physics = 63
• Chemistry = 63
• Biology = 63

Calculating Your Total UTME Score

Assume your scores are:

• Use of English = 75
• Physics = 63
• Chemistry = 63
• Biology = 63

Your total UTME score is:

75 + 63 + 63 + 63 = 264/400

This is the score universities will use when considering your admission, alongside any other admission requirements.

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