The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is scheduled to conduct a review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) on Thursday in response to what it termed as “unusual” levels of public complaints.
According to a notice in Abuja, the meeting will involve key education stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, school heads, examiners, and technical professionals. The purpose of the gathering is to closely examine the examination process and address the widespread dissatisfaction voiced by students and their families.
This action follows a wave of protests after the release of the UTME results last Friday, with numerous candidates and parents alleging technical problems and irregularities during the exam.
The panel includes representatives from various educational bodies such as the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, and the Educational Assessment and Research Network, alongside senior officials from Nigerian universities and colleges. The team is expected to identify any challenges in the exam process and make recommendations to avoid similar issues in future. JAMB emphasized that the review will be conducted without any financial burden on the board.
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The UTME is a crucial exam for gaining admission into higher institutions in Nigeria. It tests candidates in four subjects, one of which must be Use of English, with the other three based on the student’s intended course of study.
Out of the 1.9 million candidates who took the exam, over 1.5 million scored below 200 out of 400, raising serious concerns within the education sector. JAMB stated that it processed 1,955,069 results. Of these, only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 or above, while 7,658 (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319. In total, just 0.63% (12,414 candidates) achieved scores of 300 and above.
Additionally, 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, and 334,560 (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249. The largest group—983,187 candidates (50.29%)—scored between 160 and 199, the minimum range considered acceptable for admission by many schools. Another 488,197 (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159, while 57,419 (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139. Only 3,820 (0.20%) had scores between 100 and 119, and 2,031 (0.10%) scored below 100.
With more than 75% of candidates scoring below 200, concerns have been raised over the quality and fairness of the exam.
Some candidates have threatened legal action against JAMB. In response, JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin announced that the board was expediting its standard post-exam review, which typically covers registration, the exam itself, and result processing. He noted that JAMB is taking the unusual volume of complaints—particularly from certain states—seriously and is working to identify and correct any technical problems that may have occurred.
He assured that candidates who faced technical disruptions would be offered the chance to retake the exam, following JAMB’s established procedures.
Experts have been brought in to assist in the review process.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, defended the overall performance, stating that the results are consistent with trends observed over the past decade. He noted that similar outcomes were recorded in previous years: in 2024, 76% of candidates scored below 200, and in 2022, 78% fell below that mark. In 2021, just 803 candidates out of 1.3 million scored above 300.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, also commented on the results, saying the high failure rate is evidence that government efforts to combat exam malpractice are succeeding, especially within JAMB’s operations.
Despite these reassurances, many candidates and parents remain unsatisfied. Some have questioned the transparency of the grading system and are calling on JAMB to disclose how scores were calculated. Several students have rejected their results, claiming they do not reflect their actual performance.
A group of over 8,000 candidates has reportedly submitted formal complaints about technical issues during the exam. One candidate, identified on social media as @Pennyfabz, who scored 156 this year, expressed doubt about her result, stating she had previously scored 285 in an earlier UTME sitting.
