Tension Rises As JAMB, VCs, Principals Set To Review UTME Results

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will review the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results amid growing dissatisfaction from candidates, parents, and other concerned stakeholders.

According to an official notice obtained by The PUNCH, the review session is slated for Thursday in Abuja. It will bring together vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, school principals, examiners, and technical experts to evaluate the examination process and address public concerns.

“To reinforce the public’s trust in its procedures, the board’s management has approved your participation in the review panel tasked with assessing the examination’s conduct,” the notice stated.

The move follows a surge of complaints about the results released last Friday. Many candidates have reported technical issues during the exams and questioned the fairness of the scoring system.

Performance Summary and Public Reaction

Of the 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the 2025 UTME, only 12,414 (0.63%) scored above 300, while over 1.5 million candidates—more than 75%—scored below 200 out of a total 400 points. This has triggered debates around exam credibility and possible technical faults.

Score distribution:

• 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%)

While similar trends have been observed in past years, the volume and intensity of complaints in 2025 prompted JAMB to act more swiftly than usual.

JAMB Addresses Complaints

In a Monday statement, JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, acknowledged the “unusual volume of complaints” from certain states. He affirmed that the board is currently examining the entire exam process to ensure fairness and resolve any possible technical problems.

“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints from some regions. A thorough investigation is underway to identify and resolve any technical lapses,” Benjamin said.

He added that JAMB’s standard review cycle typically covers registration, exam administration, and result processing. However, due to the intensity of public backlash, this year’s review has been expedited.