Every JAMB year tells the same story - thousands of students write the exam, yet only a fraction get admitted. Not always because they’re not smart, but because they made little mistakes that ended up costing them admission.

The truth is, JAMB isn’t just about reading; it’s about planning, preparation, and awareness. If you’re writing JAMB 2026, these are the major mistakes 2025 candidates made that you should avoid at all costs

1. Waiting Until the Last Minute to Register

A lot of 2025 aspirants underestimated how stressful JAMB registration can be. They relaxed for weeks, thinking “there’s still time,” only to face long queues, network errors, and full centres during the final week.

Some couldn’t even complete their registration before the deadline and had to wait till the next year. Others registered in a hurry, made mistakes in their names, subjects, or email - and spent months trying to fix them.

✅ Tip: Once registration starts, don’t delay. Register within the first two weeks. It gives you time to cross-check your details, reprint early, and avoid unnecessary panic.

2. Submitting Wrong Subject Combinations

This is one of the biggest mistakes every year - and it’s painful because it can cancel your entire admission chance, even if you score 320.

Imagine a student who wants to study Medicine but chooses Biology, Chemistry, and Economics instead of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Or a Law aspirant who picks CRS, Government, and Commerce but leaves out Literature - That student automatically becomes ineligible for the course.

✅ Tip: Before you register, check the official JAMB brochure or your school’s admission requirements. You can even confirm from a reliable tutorial teacher or a trusted education blog before selecting subjects. One wrong subject can disqualify you.

3. Registering with Another Person’s Phone Number or Email

This was another common mistake in 2025. Some candidates used café operators’ phone numbers or emails, thinking it didn’t matter - until it was time to check admission status or reset passwords. Your JAMB profile, CAPS login, result checking, and even admission acceptance are all tied to your own phone number and email.

✅ Tip: Create your personal email before registration and use your own active SIM card. Keep both accessible after the exam. JAMB will send important messages to them - don’t use someone else’s.

4. NIN Issues and Profile Code Errors

Since JAMB made NIN compulsory, many students faced delays in generating profile codes. The problem usually came from mismatched details - for example, a name on NIN that didn’t match the one on WAEC or a wrong date of birth. Some had to visit NIMC offices repeatedly or send several SMS before the issue was fixed, wasting valuable time.

✅ Tip: Before registration starts, visit a verified NIMC centre to check that your name, date of birth, and phone number are correct and consistent with your WAEC and JAMB details. Correct any mistake early.

5. Over-Reliance on Past Questions

Many 2025 candidates treated JAMB past questions like magic books - they memorized answers line by line without understanding the topics. But JAMB keeps changing how questions are set. Some questions may look familiar, but the options and wordings are totally different. Students who didn’t understand the “why” behind the answers struggled.

✅ Tip: Don’t just cram - study to understand. Use past questions for practice and speed tests, not as your only study material. Read your textbooks and JAMB syllabus alongside.

6. Ignoring the JAMB Syllabus

You can’t prepare properly if you don’t know what to prepare for. The JAMB syllabus is literally your exam map - it contains every topic you’re expected to cover in each subject. Many 2025 students ignored it, studied randomly, and were shocked when unfamiliar questions showed up.

✅ Tip: Download the latest JAMB syllabus (it’s free online). Go through it and tick off topics as you cover them. If a topic isn’t in the syllabus, don’t waste too much time on it.

7. Refusing to Attend Tutorials

Some candidates felt too confident and studied on their own - but ended up missing key concepts or not knowing the current trends in JAMB-style questions.
A good tutorial centre doesn’t just teach; it helps you stay consistent, track your progress, and exposes you to how questions are asked in real CBT conditions.

✅ Tip: Join a reputable tutorial or online class that focuses on JAMB 2026 preparation. Make sure they use CBT platforms, and don’t jump from one centre to another - consistency is key.

8. Not Practicing CBT Format

Every year, many students go into the exam hall without ever touching a computer or practicing a CBT test. Some mistakenly clicked “submit” halfway, while others didn’t know how to navigate between questions. JAMB is fast-paced - 180 questions in 2 hours - and you must be comfortable with the interface.

✅ Tip: Use CBT apps like SchoolNGR.com, online mock exams, or practice centres to simulate real exam experience. Time yourself. The more you practice, the calmer you’ll be in the real exam.

9. Ignoring Mock Exams

The JAMB mock exam isn’t compulsory, but it’s a golden opportunity. It helps you test how prepared you are, experience the pressure, and understand what exam day feels like. Many 2025 candidates skipped it and later said, “I wish I did it.”

✅ Tip: If you truly want to excel in JAMB 2026, don’t skip the mock exam - treat it as your real test. It helps you overcome exam tension, manage your time better, and understand how questions are structured.

You can even take online mock tests on reliable platforms like SchoolNGR.com, which simulate the real JAMB experience and help you track your progress before the main exam.

10. Relying Too Much on Café Operators

It’s common to see café attendants handle everything - from registration to printing slips - while candidates just sit and wait. That’s risky. A lot of 2025 students discovered mistakes in their names, subjects, or institutions after submission, and JAMB rarely allows corrections once registration closes.

✅ Tip: Be present and alert during registration. Review your data before submission. Don’t assume the café operator knows everything - it’s your future, not theirs.

11. Poor Time Management During the Exam

Even the best students lose marks because they mismanage time. Some spent 20 minutes on one tough question and couldn’t finish others.

✅ Tip: Always move quickly. Start with subjects you’re best at. If a question looks confusing, skip and return later. Time is your biggest enemy in JAMB.

12. Being Overconfident or Comparing Yourself to Others

Some 2025 students failed not because they didn’t prepare - but because they became overconfident. Others allowed social media pressure to discourage them.

✅ Tip: Stay focused on your lane. Be confident but humble. JAMB rewards consistent effort, not arrogance.

Final Word

JAMB isn’t luck - it’s preparation meeting opportunity. Avoid these mistakes, stay consistent, and take every stage seriously: from NIN to subject choice, tutorials, mock exams, and finally, your CBT test. Every single step counts.