The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Wednesday officially acknowledged that errors occurred during the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which may have affected the performance of candidates.
The Board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made the disclosure during a press briefing currently taking place in Abuja.
“What should have been a moment of joy has been overshadowed by one or two errors,” Oloyede admitted.
The UTME is a key requirement for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Candidates are tested in four subjects—the Use of English (compulsory) and three others relevant to their intended course of study.
This year, 1.9 million candidates sat for the exam. However, the results have sparked widespread concern after it was revealed that over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks.
According to data released by JAMB:
- 1,955,069 results were processed in total.
- Only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above.
- An additional 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319.
- In total, only 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.
These figures have heightened concerns about systemic issues affecting the examination process and its reliability as a benchmark for university admissions.
