How to Prepare for JAMB CBT Exam Day: A Practical Checklist from an Accredited Centre

The night before

Sleep is more important than last-minute revision. Brains do not reliably retrieve facts after fewer than five hours of sleep — and JAMB CBT requires fast retrieval, not deep reasoning. Stop revising at 9pm. Pack your bag. Charge your phone. Set two alarms. Sleep.

What to pack

• Original NIN slip or NIMC card
• JAMB e-slip (printed, two copies)
• Biro and pencil — not strictly required, but useful for the rough sheet
• Bottled water (sealed, label intact)
• Cash for small expenses — most centres do not have ATMs nearby
• A simple wristwatch — phones will be collected at the gate

What NOT to bring

• Phones, smartwatches, earpieces, Bluetooth devices — these will be collected and held outside the hall
• Books, notebooks, calculators — none allowed
• Caps, sunglasses, scarves — must come off for biometric verification
• Bags — most centres do not have storage; leave anything you don't need at home

What to eat

A full Nigerian breakfast — beans, eggs, yam — is heavy and slow to digest. You will sit for two hours and you do not want digestive discomfort or a sleepy mid-morning crash. Eat something balanced and light: oats, eggs, banana, water. Coffee is fine if you usually drink it. Today is not the day to start.

Arrive 90 minutes early — every time

This is non-negotiable. Biometric verification queues build up. The JAMB-mandated arrival window closes 30 minutes before the exam starts. Late arrivals are turned away — there is no appeal, no rescheduling. Calculate your route based on the worst possible Akure traffic and add a 30-minute buffer.

Inside the hall

You will be escorted to your assigned workstation. The system displays your photograph and biometric match. The exam timer starts when you click "Begin." Read the question, click the answer, click "Next." There is no "Submit" button — the system auto-submits at zero. Watch the timer in the top-right corner.

If something goes wrong

If your machine freezes, raise your hand. The technical staff will swap you to a standby machine and your time and answers will be preserved. Do not panic and do not attempt to reboot the machine yourself.

After the exam

Your unofficial score may display on screen. The official result is published 24 to 72 hours later. Do not pay anyone who claims to "upgrade" or "reprint" your result — these are scams. The only legitimate result source is the JAMB portal.

If you have any questions about exam-day logistics at our Akure centre, our front desk is available on +234 803 566 2450 from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.