These terms do a great job at confusing students that they even argue that UTME is different from JAMB.
In this article, we will dissect the definitions of these terms and point out the differences between UTME & JAMB in Nigeria.
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Full Meaning of JAMB in Nigeria
In Nigeria, JAMB means Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board. It is an entrance examination board for higher institutions in Nigeria.
JAMB is in charge of conducting examinations required for high school students to gain admission into tertiary institutions like universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics, and institutes in Nigeria.
The board runs this exam annually for students who want to be admitted to higher educational institutions. They have CBT centers in all the 36 states in Nigeria.
Founded in 1978, the board is governed by Professor Ishaq Oloyede who was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2016.
What is the meaning of UTME?
UTME simply means Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, a CBT examination used to determine if a student is eligible for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Since 1978, the UTME was a paper-and-pencil-based exam, in May 2014 it was changed to a Computer-based examination.
Registration for the UTME usually occurs every year and candidates will be tested on 4 subjects (English language and 3 other subjects that are related to the course they want to study).
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is in charge of everything that has to do with the UTME in Nigeria. The exam takes place once a year and is scored over 400.
Difference between UTME and JAMB
The difference between JAMB and UTME is that the examination is called UTME while the board or organization conducting the exam (UTME) is called JAMB.
I have explained their definitions before but let me repeat this again, JAMB means Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board while UTME means Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Most Nigerians make the mistake of calling the exam JAMB while considering UTME as another type of exam. It’s either you call it the JAMB exam or UTME.
What’s the difference between Post UTME and JAMB?
Post-UTME is entirely different from the JAMB exam, the term stands for Post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
It is the exam that prospective undergraduates take after the JAMB exams, this exam is conducted by the candidates’ institution, not JAMB.
Before candidates can apply for the post utme forms, they must have met the requirements of the institution like cut-off marks, O’level requirements, age requirements, etc.
I hope this short article clears up the misconception among Nigerians confusing these terms.