JAMB to review UTME results after widespread protest of low scores

On Monday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced that it is reviewing the recently released Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the board said it is fast forwarding its annual system review, a comprehensive post-mortem of the examination process, as a result of the ‘significant volume of unusual complaints’ that followed the release of the 2025 UTME results on Friday.

“If it is determined that there were indeed glitches, we will implement appropriate remedial measures promptly, as we do in the case of the examinations themselves,” the board said

The board said it is particularly concerned about the unusual complaints from a few states within the federation.

According to the statement, the board is scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify potential technical issues.

JAMB said the annual review encompasses three key stages: registration, examination, and result release.

It explained that during the examination, JAMB ensures that every candidate is afforded the opportunity to sit the test, and should any technical issues arise, the board reschedules the examination for affected candidates.

JAMB said experts have been engaged to assist in the review.

The experts are: “Members from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, Chief External Examiners, who are heads of tertiary institutions, the Educational Association and Research Network in Africa, measurement experts, and Vice Chancellors from various institutions.”

Concerns

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that candidates and other Nigerians took to social media to protest the low scores recorded by some candidates who had previous records of better performance.

This year, more than 78 per cent of candidates who sat the UTME scored less than 200 points out of the 400 maximum points obtainable. Each candidate takes four subjects, each graded on 100 points.

Using the hashtag #thisisnotmyresult, they expressed concerns and called for a review of the results.

However, JAMB registrar Is-haq Oloyede, a professor, said the results have been consistent with the trend over the years. Last year, 76 per cent of candidates who sat the UTME scored less than 200 points.

In 2022, according to JAMB, 1.3 million candidates out of 1.7 million –or 78 per cent– who sat the 2022 UTME scored below 200.

READ ALSO: 2025 UTME: JAMB speaks as candidates, other Nigerians protest low scores

In 2021, only 803 candidates out of 1.3 million –or 0.06 per cent– who sat the 2021 UTME scored above 300, the registrar, Mr Oloyede, said at the time.

Meanwhile, Alex Onyia, the chief executive officer of Educare, a software solution for schools, has begun compiling the list of affected candidates in preparation for a lawsuit against the board to compel them to release the marking sheet and scoring details of the candidates.

Mr Onyia said more than 11,000 candidates have filled the form as of Monday morning.

“We need all students’ mark-sheets released to them and also exams on 24th, 25th, 26th and 28th of April must be thoroughly investigated quickly. 26th April is the worst of them all with all its incomplete questions and blank questions,” he posted.