The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has admitted to “errors” that adversely impacted candidates’ performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, made the disclosure during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. “What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” he said, without providing full technical details.
The UTME, which serves as a gateway to Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, tested 1.9 million candidates in four subjects, including the mandatory Use of English. Alarmingly, over 1.5 million candidates more than 75%, scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, sparking nationwide concern over the examination’s integrity and educational standards.
According to JAMB’s data:
Only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above.
7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319.
In total, just 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 and above.
73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299.
334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249.
983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored between 160 and 199.
488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159.
57,419 candidates (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139.
3,820 candidates (0.20%) scored between 100 and 119.
2,031 candidates (0.10%) scored below 100.
The widespread low scores have triggered outrage among students, parents, and education stakeholders, with some affected candidates reportedly threatening legal action against the examination body.
Calls for urgent review and reform have intensified, especially after the suicide of a Lagos student, which psychologists and activists have linked to the mass failure.
The board has promised further clarification in the coming days as Vice-Chancellors and education experts prepare to meet JAMB on Thursday to review the results and chart a path forward.
