What Post-UTME is
After JAMB releases UTME results, each institution runs its own admission check called Post-UTME (sometimes just "screening"). It is the second gate to admission: JAMB gets you eligible, Post-UTME decides who actually gets the limited places. Every school sets its own rules, dates and format, so the first job is finding out exactly what your chosen institution does.
Screening vs a written test
There are two broad types. Some schools run a written CBT test of their own; others do a document screening that simply verifies your UTME score and O’Level credits with no exam. A growing number blend both. Check your institution’s admission page early — preparing for a test you don’t have wastes time, and missing a test you do have costs admission.
How the aggregate works
Most schools combine your UTME score with your Post-UTME (or screening) score, and sometimes your O’Level grades, into a single aggregate that ranks candidates — for example, 50% UTME and 50% Post-UTME. Each institution weights these differently, so a strong UTME plus a strong Post-UTME is what wins a competitive place. See exactly how the numbers work in How is JAMB scored?
How to register for Post-UTME
Watch your institution’s official website and portal closely — Post-UTME windows open (and close) on the school’s schedule, not JAMB’s. When it opens, you typically pay a fee and register with your UTME details and O’Level results. Do not miss the window: if you don’t apply, you simply won’t be considered, no matter how high your UTME score.
How to prepare for a Post-UTME test
Where there is a written test, the subjects are usually your JAMB combination, often with English and general/current-affairs questions. Prepare the same way you did for UTME: study the syllabus, drill the high-yield topics, and practise in the CBT format with free CBT practice and a timed mock. Look up your school’s past screening pattern so you know what to expect.
Common Post-UTME mistakes
- Assuming your UTME score alone secures admission — the aggregate matters.
- Missing the registration window because you only watched JAMB, not your school.
- Forgetting to upload your O’Level to CAPS, which can make you ineligible regardless of screening.
- Not preparing because "it’s just screening" — then meeting a written test.