By Ayomide Otitoju
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially acknowledged errors that affected the performance of candidates during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede admitted that certain discrepancies influenced the outcome of the examination. The UTME is a key requirement for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions and assesses candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English, with the remaining three based on their chosen field of study.
Out of the 1.9 million candidates who took the 2025 UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200 marks out of a possible 400, sparking concerns within the education sector. According to JAMB, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, with only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scoring 320 and above, considered top-tier performance. A further 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total number of candidates who scored 300 and above to 12,414 (0.63%).
In contrast, 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, while 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249.
The majority of candidates, 983,187 (50.29%), scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admission by many institutions. A further 488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159, while 57,419 candidates (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139. The lowest score range, between 100 and 119, was recorded by 3,820 candidates (0.20%), with 2,031 candidates (0.10%) scoring below 100.
With more than 75% of candidates (1.5 million) scoring below 200, JAMB’s admission of errors in the exam’s execution has raised questions regarding the integrity and fairness of the results. The examination, graded on a 400-point scale, saw an average performance that many believe was not reflective of the candidates’ capabilities.
