The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially admitted to certain errors that impacted candidates’ performances in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made the disclosure during a press briefing held Wednesday in Abuja, where he expressed regret over the situation.
“What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” Oloyede stated.
The UTME is a vital examination for gaining admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. It tests candidates in four subjects — with Use of English being compulsory — and the other three based on the candidate’s intended field of study.
This year, over 1.9 million candidates participated in the exam.
However, more than 1.5 million of them scored below 200 out of a total of 400 marks, sparking widespread concern among education stakeholders.
Out of the 1,955,069 results processed, only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above. An additional 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the number of those who scored 300 or higher to just 12,414 (0.63%).
Further breakdown shows 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299; 334,560 (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249; while the majority — 983,187 candidates (50.29%) — scored between 160 and 199.
Additionally, 488,197 candidates (24.97%) fell within the 140 to 159 range; 57,419 (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139; 3,820 (0.20%) had scores between 100 and 119; and just 2,031 (0.10%) scored below 100.
These results mean over 75% of all candidates scored below 200, the typical benchmark for admission in many institutions.
In response to the outcome, some candidates have threatened legal action against the board.
Details later.
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