The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will convene a high-level review meeting on Thursday to address the mounting concerns surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board announced that the move comes in response to what it described as “unusual” levels of public dissatisfaction and allegations of widespread technical glitches.
According to The PUNCH, the emergency review session will bring together vice-chancellors, rectors, provosts, school principals, technical experts, and seasoned examiners.
The panel, which includes representatives from the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, and the Educational Assessment and Research Network, is tasked with evaluating the entire examination process and recommending corrective measures.
The controversy erupted shortly after JAMB released the 2025 UTME results last Friday. Parents and candidates have taken to both social media and formal channels to decry what they described as inconsistencies, incomplete questions, and technical disruptions during the test. Over 8,000 official complaints have reportedly been lodged, prompting growing calls for transparency and redress.
In the notice, JAMB emphasized its commitment to public confidence and integrity, stating that the review aims to identify lapses and recommend solutions to prevent future occurrences. The board also noted that members of the review panel would serve at no cost to the agency.
The UTME remains a crucial requirement for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria, testing candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English. Of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the 2025 examination, more than 1.5 million scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks — a trend that has caused widespread concern in the education sector.
JAMB data shows that only 4,756 candidates scored 320 and above, while 7,658 scored between 300 and 319. Another 73,441 candidates obtained scores between 250 and 299, and 334,560 candidates scored between 200 and 249. A staggering 983,187 candidates fell within the 160 to 199 score range, commonly regarded as the minimum threshold for admission into many institutions. Additionally, 488,197 candidates scored between 140 and 159, 57,419 between 120 and 139, 3,820 between 100 and 119, and 2,031 scored below 100.
Many candidates have challenged the accuracy of their results. One social media user, posting under the handle @Pennyfabz, questioned how her score dropped from 285 in the previous year to 156 in 2025, describing the result as unreflective of her true performance. “Dear @JAMBHQ, something is wrong with my result. I’m very confident that this is not what I’m meant to get. Please look into this matter,” she pleaded on X (formerly Twitter).
Parents have also joined in the calls for accountability. One parent described the results as shocking, saying, “We demand a remark from JAMB. These are exceptional students scoring below 200. Many complained of incomplete questions and other technical issues. JAMB has said nothing. This cannot be swept under the rug.”
JAMB spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, responded to the controversy on Monday, noting that the board had accelerated its usual post-examination review process, which typically assesses the registration, testing, and result release stages.
He admitted that the board was concerned about the volume and nature of complaints coming from a few specific states and assured the public that the issues were being scrutinized closely, reaffirming that any candidate whose examination was affected by technical disruptions would be granted an opportunity to retake the test, in line with JAMB’s established procedures.
Registrar of the Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, defended the performance statistics, asserting that the 2025 outcomes align with historical patterns. He pointed out that in 2024, 76 percent of UTME candidates scored below 200, while in 2022, the figure stood at 78 percent. In 2021, only 803 candidates out of 1.3 million scored above 300. Oloyede stressed that such outcomes are not unprecedented.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, lent support to the Board’s position, attributing the high failure rate to intensified efforts to eliminate examination malpractice. He said the results reflect the effectiveness of reforms aimed at safeguarding the credibility of the admissions process.
As the review process commences, all eyes are on JAMB to restore confidence and address the widespread concerns that have trailed this year’s examination.
