JAMB to Review 2025 UTME Results Amid Surge in Complaints and Technical Glitch Allegations
Over 75% of candidates scored below 200 as students, parents demand transparency
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will conduct a comprehensive review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results following a wave of public complaints from candidates, parents, and education stakeholders.
The decision was confirmed in an official notice from the board’s headquarters in Abuja. According to the notice, the review meeting will take place on Thursday and will include a cross-section of Nigeria’s educational leaders — from vice-chancellors and rectors to ICT experts and school principals — to examine the conduct and outcome of the nationwide examination.
“In furtherance of the commitment of the board to earn public confidence in its processes, the management has approved your participation to be part of the review panel… with the mandate to identify challenges, if any, and proffer relevant recommendations to prevent a recurrence,” the notice read.
The meeting follows widespread dissatisfaction over the recently released results, with many candidates alleging technical issues during the examination and questioning the scoring methodology used by the board.
Poor Results Spark Outrage
Of the 1,955,069 results processed by JAMB, over 1.5 million candidates — more than 75 percent — scored below 200 out of a maximum 400 marks. Only 12,414 candidates (0.63 percent) scored 300 and above, and just 4,756 candidates (0.24 percent) scored 320 or higher.
The breakdown of the results is as follows:
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334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200–249
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983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored between 160–199
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488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored between 140–159
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2,031 candidates (0.10%) scored below 100
The results have led to a surge of criticism on social media and offline. Some affected candidates have rejected their scores, claiming the results do not reflect their actual performance. Others have cited login issues, computer malfunctions, and test submission errors as reasons for their poor showing.
A group of over 8,000 candidates has reportedly submitted official complaints to JAMB. Some parents and students have also threatened legal action against the board, calling for a full investigation into the technical operations of the exam.
JAMB Responds
In response, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said the board had fast-tracked its annual post-examination review process to investigate the complaints. He said JAMB was “particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states,” and that experts had been engaged to assess the situation.
“We are currently scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify any potential technical issues,” Benjamin said.
JAMB explained that its review typically covers three stages: registration, examination, and result release. It assured the public that any candidate genuinely affected by disruptions would be given an opportunity to retake the exam.
Minister Backs Tougher Integrity Measures
Reacting to the controversy, Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the poor performance was an indication that anti-malpractice reforms were working.
“The results show that our examination integrity efforts are paying off,” the minister stated. “We will not compromise standards, and the days of inflated scores due to cheating are over.”
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, also weighed in, saying the 2025 performance was consistent with previous years. In 2024, 76 percent of UTME candidates scored below 200, while in 2022, that number rose to 78 percent.
“There is nothing unusual about this year. The results align with the trends of the past 12 years,” Oloyede said.
What Comes Next?
The Thursday review panel will include representatives from:
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All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS)
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National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS)
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Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN)
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Educational Assessment and Research Network
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Various public and private universities and polytechnics
JAMB emphasized that the panelists are serving voluntarily and will not be paid by the board.
Meanwhile, aggrieved candidates continue to call on JAMB to publicly disclose its grading system and provide subject-by-subject breakdowns for all scores.
As scrutiny intensifies, JAMB’s handling of the review and its responsiveness to stakeholders’ concerns could prove pivotal in restoring trust in one of Nigeria’s most critical educational gateways.