JAMB to review UTME results amid public outcry

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will on Thursday convene a high-level review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results following massive public outcry over poor scores and alleged discrepancies.

The emergency meeting will gather vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, principals, examiners, and education technology experts to examine the conduct and scoring of the UTME, which saw over 75% of the 1.9 million candidates score below the 200 mark out of 400.

The meeting aims to address concerns over technical hitches and transparency in the exam process.

Candidates and parents have voiced frustration over alleged glitches and discrepancies in results, with some planning legal action against JAMB.

While several students claim their scores do not match their expectations or performance during the exam, citing incomplete questions and abrupt system shutdowns.

JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin confirmed the review was accelerated due to “unusual complaints from a few states,” adding that experts are already investigating the claims.

He assured affected candidates would be given a second chance to write the exam where necessary.

Despite the protests, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said the 2025 performance aligns with the board’s 12-year trend of low average scores. In 2024 and 2022, more than 75% of candidates also scored below 200.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the results validate recent anti-malpractice reforms by JAMB, asserting that stricter exam conditions are revealing true performance levels.

Amid the controversy, one student stood out: 15-year-old Afolabi Ayodeji from Icons Comprehensive College, Akure, who scored a remarkable 370, the highest UTME result in over a decade.

His achievement offers a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dismal performance year, raising calls for improved teaching quality, fair testing systems, and greater investment in Nigeria’s education sector.