The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released candidates’ performance data for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), showing that the 2025 results are the best in the last 13 years.
This follows issues of technical glitches and complaints by the candidates that forced the Board to organise a resit exam, the results of which were released on Sunday.
According to the data, 17,025, representing 0.88% of the candidates that sat for the UTME in 2025, scored 300 and above, and this came as the highest percentage since the Computer-Based Test (CBT) was introduced in 2013.
In comparison, only 8,401, representing 0.46% of the candidates, scored 300 and above in 2024, while in 2023, only 5,318 (0.35%) of the candidates were in that range.
2025 is still the best for lower scores
The data further reveals that in terms of candidates that scored 250 and above, 2025 is still the best year.
JAMB’s data shows that 117,373, representing 6.08% of the candidates, scored 250 and above this year.
- In 2024, only 77,070, representing 4.18% of the candidates, scored within the range of 250 and above, while in 2023, the number was lower at 56,736, which represents 3.73% of the candidates that sat for the test.
- For those that scored 200 and above, 2025 still recorded the highest number as 565,988 (29.3%) scored within the range, while in 2024, only 439,961 (24%) candidates were in that range.
- In 2023, the performance was poorer as only 355,689, representing 23.36% of the candidates, scored 200 and above.
Allegation of malpractices
The revelation from JAMB came amidst allegations of malpractices in the just concluded UTME exam.
JAMB said it had advanced examination fraud techniques used during the 2025 UTME, including the hacking of CBT centre networks.
According to JAMB, some CBT and school proprietors, in connivance with accredited centres, allegedly hacked local servers to control candidates’ computers and submit answers remotely.
On what it described as AI-enabled impersonation, JAMB said fraudsters used photo blending technology to impersonate candidates.
The body also alleged that registration processes were compromised through the combination of fingerprints from multiple individuals.
It added that Local Area Networks (LANs) were illegally extended to off-site locations where answers were generated.
“Some candidates were deliberately paired with mercenaries, including current undergraduates, who gained access to exam halls,” JAMB alleged.
Results withdrawal
Based on the above discovery, JAMB said it has withdrawn results for over 3,000 candidates found to have engaged in fraudulent activities.
The board flagged a disturbing trend involving “Pairing of Candidates with professional mercenaries (after willful disruption of sitting arrangements) who had registered for the UTME for the purpose of gaining access to the examination hall.”
JAMB expressed concern over the involvement of undergraduate students from tertiary institutions in orchestrating these illicit schemes, further complicating efforts to maintain exam integrity.
What you should know
Following the intense public criticism and concerns raised by candidates and parents across Nigeria over the integrity of the 2025 UTME, JAMB had confirmed that a significant number of candidates were affected by errors traced to “an omission in the examination items” across specific operational zones.
- The Lagos operational zone, which includes Lagos State and parts of the South-East, saw the highest impact, with a total of 379,997 candidates compromised by the glitches.
- Specifically, 65 centres in Lagos (206,610 candidates) and 92 centres in the Owerri zone (173,387 candidates) experienced technical failures that led to incomplete or malfunctioning exam content.
- This led to the conduct of a resit exam for those affected by the glitches.
