The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a significant improvement in the performance of candidates following the recently conducted Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit. The resit was organized after widespread technical and human errors affected the integrity of the original exam.
According to a statement released by JAMB on Sunday, over 200,000 additional candidates have now scored 200 and above—considered the average mark—following the rescheduled examination. This brings the total number of candidates scoring 200 and above to 565,988, up from over 355,000 before the resit.
In the original results released on May 9, 2025, more than 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scored below 200, triggering public concern and calls for an investigation. JAMB later discovered that faulty server updates had caused technical glitches, which compromised the upload of candidate responses at 157 centres in Lagos and South-East Nigeria during the first three days of the exam.
Consequently, 379,997 candidates were directed to retake the UTME, and the Board has since released their results. The updated data reveals that 1,365,479 candidates (70.7%) still scored below 200—a slight drop from 76% in 2024 and 76.64% in 2023.
JAMB noted that the latest performance reflects a modest but important shift, particularly since the adoption of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format in 2013.
In total, 1,931,467 results were released for the 2025 UTME, representing 100% of those who sat for the exam. This marks an increase from 1,842,364 results released in 2024, indicating growing participation in the annual assessment.
In the high-scoring brackets:
- 117,373 candidates (6.08%) scored 250 and above, up from 77,070 (4.18%) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73%) in 2023.
- 565,988 candidates (29.3%) scored 200 and above, compared to 24% in 2024 and 23.36% in 2023.
JAMB also highlighted historical improvements: in 2021, only 724 candidates (0.06%) scored 300 and above, and none achieved that in 2013 and 2014. In 2025, the proportion of high scorers continues to rise, reflecting better preparation and familiarity with the CBT format.
The Board attributed the earlier technical issues to human error during server updates, which impacted data uploads. It also confirmed that candidates under the age of 16—more than 41,000 of them—have had their results released, though they remain ineligible for admission unless they meet legal and institutional requirements.
JAMB expressed concern over malpractice during the exam period, citing the involvement of some school proprietors and CBT centres in irregularities. However, it reiterated its commitment to refining its systems and ensuring fairness in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions process.
Further statements from JAMB are expected regarding how this year’s results will impact university and college admissions.
