What is Negative Marking in Nigerian Universities? (And How to Beat It)

What is Negative Marking in Nigerian Universities? (And How to Beat It)

You walk out of the exam hall feeling like a boss. You attempted all 50 questions. Even the ones you didn’t know? You guessed them.

You’re calculating your score in your head: “At worst, I’ll get 30/50.”

Then the results come out. You scored 12.

Confusion sets in. Did the system fail? Did “village people” follow you to the CBT centre?

Probably not. You likely fell into the trap of negative marking.

This is a grading system that terrifies even the smartest students. But what is negative marking in Nigerian universities exactly? Simply put, it’s a system where you are punished for wrong answers.

Instead of just getting zero for a failed question, marks are subtracted from the ones you got right. It sounds wicked, I know. But some schools use it to filter out the thousands of students fighting for limited admission slots.

Here is exactly how it works and how you can survive it without crashing your aggregate score.

The Simple Math: How Negative Marking Actually Works

In a normal exam (like your secondary school tests), if you get a question wrong, you score zero. Your previous correct answers are safe.

Negative marking changes the rules.

If you get a question wrong, the system deducts a fraction of your total marks.

Let’s look at a practical scenario. Imagine a Post-UTME exam with 50 questions.

• Correct Answer: +2 marks.

• Wrong Answer: -1 mark.

• Unanswered Question: 0 marks.

Now, imagine you know 20 questions perfectly. That’s 40 marks.

But you decide to guess the remaining 30 questions because you don’t want to leave them blank. Unfortunately, you get all 30 guesses wrong.

• Your score for the correct ones: 40.

• Your penalty for the wrong ones: -30.

• Final Score: 10.

Omo. That is a disaster.

If you had just left those 30 questions blank, your score would have remained 40. You see why this is dangerous?

Before you start panicking about paying for your registration, check if the exam body uses this system. As you prepare to pay the price of the JAMB form for 2026, you also need to find out the specific rules for your school of choice.

Do JAMB and WAEC Use Negative Marking?

This is the most common question I get.

“Sir, does JAMB remove marks for wrong answers?”

Generally, No.

For standard exams like WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, there is currently no official negative marking policy. If you don’t know the answer in JAMB, it is usually safer to guess than to leave it blank.

However, the game changes when it comes to Post-UTME.

Top federal universities (like UI, OAU, UNILAG) and some scholarship boards have used negative marking in the past to thin out the herd.

Always read the instructions on the screen before you start. It will explicitly tell you if wrong answers attract a penalty. You can also check the official JAMB website or your school’s admission portal for the latest exam guidelines.

The “Trap” of Random Guessing (Why “Shading C” Will Fail You)

We’ve all heard that urban legend: “If you don’t know the answer, just pick C.”

In an exam with negative marking, this is academic suicide.

When you guess blindly, you are gambling with marks you have already earned. It’s like betting your school fees on a football match.

There is a popular debate that hard work is more important than talent. In this case, smart work is more important than guessing. You need a strategy, not luck.

Smart Strategies to Handle Negative Marking

So, how do you beat this system? Do you leave everything blank? No. You just have to be calculated.

Here are the methods that have worked for my students.

1. The “Sure Banker” Rule

First, go through the exam and answer only the questions you are 100% sure of.

Don’t even look at the confusing ones yet. Secure your “bag” first. If out of 50 questions, you know 25 sure bankers, lock those points in.

2. The Elimination Method

This is for the questions where you are mostly sure but not fully.

Look at the options (A, B, C, D). Can you identify two that are definitely wrong?

If you can cross out two options, you now have a 50/50 chance of getting it right. In many cases, taking a risk here is mathematically worth it. But if you can’t eliminate any options? Skip it.

It’s just like studying for Biology; you can’t just guess the functions of the heart. You need to know the specifics, as seen in the JAMB syllabus 2026 for Biology.

3. Know When to Fold

If you have absolutely no idea what the question is talking about, leave it alone.

A zero is better than a minus one.

It takes discipline. You will feel tempted to click an answer. Fight that urge.

Conclusion

Negative marking isn’t designed to make you fail; it’s designed to test your confidence and precision.

It separates those who actually know the work from the “exam gamblers.”

Don’t let fear paralyze you. Study hard, read the instructions carefully, and remember: it is better to answer fewer questions correctly than to answer all and lose marks.

For more updates on university admissions and exam tips, you can always check reliable sources like The Guardian Nigeria’s education section.

Have you ever written an exam with negative marking? How did it go? Share your experience in the comments below!