You can pass this exam in flying colours if you are determined and know what to do to achieve a good score. I was happy when the minister for education in Nigeria lifted the ban on PUTME. My joy was because I also gained admission into one of the best Universities in Nigeria via this screening exercise.
This screening exercise gives a level playing ground to all students to prove to the school that they wrote the University and Tertiary Matriculation Examinations without any assistance. Although some believe it universities does not need to re-test candidates after JAMB has done their job. In my view, I see it as a way to curb examination malpractice and re-affirm that the applicants sit for the exam without any aid.
According to the management of the University of Ibadan, empirical and verifiable data available at the University of Ibadan have shown convincingly that there has been a considerable improvement in the quality of students admitted into the University since the Post-UTME template was introduced.
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There is an incident I will never forget about one of my students; he had 253 in UTME and wanted to study Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan. Without post-JAMB, he would probably not have met the cut-off mark.
The screening was conducted, and he passed. He came out with the highest score from the UI screening. Afterward, he was offered admission to study Medicine and Surgery and a scholarship at the same institution.
I gave the above point to tell you that your JAMB score without a good Post UTME score won’t help you gain admission into Nigerian universities.
Also, some candidates are interested in knowing the number of questions in PUTME. The thing is, it depends on the school; some give 20 or 50 questions per subject. But I will advise you to lay hand on past questions to know the number of questions that would be set.
In order for you to pass, there are steps you have to follow to aid your preparation, and the points listed below are steps to prepare for Post UTME.
1. Source for past questions of your chosen institution
This will give you a hint of how their questions are structured. And if you are smart enough, you will know which questions occur frequently. Any question you see that occurs frequently should be treated and mastered.
2. Go through UTME past questions
Most universities and polytechnics may not have the time to set new questions. And all they do is pick questions from past UTME questions. You must now treat all UTME past questions to pass post-JAMB successfully.
3. Go through recommended textbooks
This is needed for you to understand some questions you might be having difficulty to answer. Once you can understand it, it has become part of you.
4. Work on your speed and accuracy
You will be graded based on the number of questions you can answer, not vice versa. This means you must be fast and accurate. This is a competition and an opportunity to get your chosen course. You have thousands of people competing with you, and you need to work your way out to be among those who will be offered admission.
5. Have a relatively good O/level result
Sometimes, some institutions might decide to have a screening exercise based on your O/level and UTME score. It may be graded 50/50, 60/40, and 40/60 for O/level and UTME scores. If your O/level result isn’t too good, it will affect your aggregate score.
6. Stay relaxed
You should find a place close to the venue that you can sleep over before the day of the exam. You should avoid traveling down to the venue on that very day. Traveling to the venue that day will increase tension and affect your performance.
7. Get to the venue on time
Getting to the venue of the exam late is one of the reasons why students don’t pass Post UTME. Be punctual!
8. Be confident and believe in your ability to excel
Many people have written the test and passed very well, so don’t allow fear to steal your chance of gaining admission.
Study hard by crossing the t’s and dotting the I’s, this is your chance to gain admission into your desired institution and to study your chosen course.
What to read
One of the keys to success is deciding what you want. Ben Stein once said, “The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want”. This statement implies that you must decide whether you want to succeed in your post-UTME. I know that visiting this page means you are desperate to pass the test and not only that but also to gain admission into your dream school.
Another key that you must also take note of is that you must take 100% responsibility for your life. George Washington Carver, a great chemist who discovered over 325 uses of peanuts, said, “Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses”. This means that you shouldn’t talk yourself down or be worried about how competitive the University you have chosen or the course of study is. Your mind must be fixed on one thing: acing Post UTME.
The answer to what you need to read for the exam is straightforward, and I will show you it immediately.
- Research your school
The way each institution sets its questions are quite different which means you must research the University you have chosen to know what to read for the exam. Doing this will help you to pass.
For instance, UNILORIN Post UTME has 50 questions: 40 questions from the English language, 5 from Mathematics, and 5 from General paper, i.e. current affairs.
UNILAG Post UTME questions from Mathematics, English Language, and General paper. The mathematics questions are 25, the English Language is 20, and the General paper is 5. The duration of the test is 30 minutes.
UI PUTME questions are Mathematics, English, and some questions from your chosen field. This means most Institutions questions are based on mathematics, English, current affairs (for some institutions), and your field.
Questions from mathematics are mostly from probability, permutation, and combination, partial and impartial fractions, logarithm, mean, median, mode, and range
Most questions from the English Language come from Consonant sounds, Vowel sounds, nearest in meaning, Opposite in meaning, Synonyms, adjectives, Verbs, question tags, etc.
For current affairs, there is a book for that, and the cost is around N200. It is important to note that the test is CBT.
The steps below will guide you on how to study for the screening exam.
- You need enough time for you to do an effective study
- Know what works best for you in terms of the study pattern you would like to adopt
- Practice enough past questions related to your chosen institution
- You can organize a study group: This helps to aid good understanding
- Plan the test day i.e you should get to the test venue early
Note
Any of the past questions can be used to prepare for the screening test with your UTME past questions. I wish you the best in your screening exercise.
Free downloads of Post UTME past questions for some Universities are available below for downloads. The material below will help you to pass.
Insha Allah I take this advice I will used it inshaa Allaah