The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has acknowledged that errors on its part contributed to the poor performance recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This admission was made by the Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a press briefing held in Abuja on Wednesday. “What should have been a moment of joy has changed due to one or two errors,” Oloyede said, referring to the growing concerns about the unusually low results recorded by many candidates.
Out of 1.9 million candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, over 1.5 million scored below 200 marks out of a total of 400—an outcome that has sparked serious debate in the education sector. According to JAMB, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed. Of these, only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, while 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319. This means just 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored above 300.
Meanwhile, the majority of candidates—983,187 (50.29%)—scored between 160 and 199, a range commonly regarded as the minimum requirement for admission into many Nigerian tertiary institutions. Additionally, 488,197 candidates (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159, while 57,419 (2.94%) scored between 120 and 139. A total of 3,820 candidates (0.20%) scored between 100 and 119, and only 2,031 candidates (0.10%) scored below 100.
With over 75% of candidates scoring below 200, public criticism has intensified, with many urging JAMB to take full responsibility. Reports have also emerged of some candidates considering legal action against the examination body.
