2025 UTME Mass Failure: JAMB, VCs Set to Review Results Amid Complaints Over Glitches, Discrepancies
Abuja, Nigeria – May 14, 2025
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a crucial meeting on Thursday, May 15, to review the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, following an outpouring of public complaints about mass failure and technical issues.
According to an official notice obtained in Abuja, the review will include vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, principals, examiners, and education technology experts. Their objective: to scrutinize the exam process, identify challenges, and propose solutions to prevent future anomalies.
Over 1.5 Million Candidates Scored Below 200
The controversy follows the release of the 2025 UTME results last Friday, which revealed that over 75% of the 1.9 million candidates scored below 200, the minimum benchmark for many tertiary institutions.
Breakdown of the 2025 UTME Results:
- 320 and above: 4,756 candidates (0.24%)
- 300 – 319: 7,658 candidates (0.39%)
- 250 – 299: 73,441 candidates (3.76%)
- 200 – 249: 334,560 candidates (17.11%)
- 160 – 199: 983,187 candidates (50.29%)
- 140 – 159: 488,197 candidates (24.97%)
- 120 – 139: 57,419 candidates (2.94%)
- 100 – 119: 3,820 candidates (0.20%)
- Below 100: 2,031 candidates (0.10%)
JAMB’s data suggests only 0.63% of candidates scored 300 and above.
Protests and Legal Threats from Candidates
Following the release, candidates and parents have flooded JAMB with complaints, alleging issues such as:
- Missing or incomplete exam questions
- Technical glitches during the CBT
- Drastic drop in scores compared to previous performances
- Lack of transparency in scoring methodology
Some candidates, including one identified as @Pennyfabz on X, reported scoring 285 in 2024 but only 156 in 2025, calling the score “impossible” and demanding a review.
More than 8,000 candidates have filed formal complaints over technical disruptions, with some threatening legal action against JAMB.
JAMB Responds: Technical Review Underway
JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that the board is expediting its annual post-exam review, which covers registration, conduct, and results.
“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states. We’re reviewing these to identify and fix any technical issues,” said Benjamin.
He assured that candidates affected by technical disruptions will be rescheduled to retake the exam, per the board’s guidelines.
Minister of Education and JAMB Defend Outcome
Reacting to the mass failure, Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa said the low scores confirm that anti-malpractice policies are effective, noting this is a result of JAMB’s push for integrity and transparency.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, also defended the 2025 outcome, asserting that the results are consistent with trends from the past 12 years:
- 2024: 76% scored below 200
- 2022: 78% scored below 200
- 2021: Only 803 candidates scored above 300
15-Year-Old Ayodeji Scores Highest UTME Result in a Decade
Amid the controversy, a bright spot emerged: Afolabi Ayodeji, a 15-year-old student of Icons Comprehensive College, Akure, scored 370/400, setting a record for the highest UTME score in over 10 years.
His subject scores:
- Mathematics – 98
- Physics – 98
- Chemistry – 94
- Use of English – 80
Ayodeji’s achievement is being celebrated as a rare academic feat in Nigeria’s education landscape.
“I didn’t set out to break any record. I just gave my best,” Ayodeji told reporters.
