JAMB Releases 2025 UTME Resit Results, Reports 99% Scored Below 200 and High Absence Rate

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit on Sunday, May 25, 2025, for 336,845 candidates affected by technical glitches in Lagos and the South-East, revealing that 99% scored below 200 out of 400 marks, with only a handful reaching up to 217. Notably, 21,082 candidates (approximately 6.3%) were absent, though no specific reasons were provided for the high absence rate. JAMB extended an opportunity for these absentees and others who missed the initial UTME to participate in a yet-to-be-scheduled annual mop-up exam, as stated by Public Communication Advisor Dr. Fabian Benjamin.

The resit, conducted from May 16 to May 19, 2025, followed widespread complaints about technical errors in 157 centers (65 in Lagos, 92 in the South-East), affecting 379,997 candidates. JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede admitted responsibility, citing faulty server updates by a technical service provider that failed to upload responses during the first three days of the original exam (April 24–May 5). A review meeting with Chief External Examiners (CEEs), chaired by Prof. Olufemi Peters of the National Open University, and endorsed by psychometric expert Prof. Boniface Nworgu, confirmed the results’ integrity. The board also released withheld results of underage candidates and those involved in “WhatsApp Runs” (illicit assistance solicitation), clarifying these do not qualify for admission and issuing a one-time waiver to discourage such practices.

JAMB dismissed claims of high scorers in the canceled sessions, noting 99% scored below 200, countering “opportunistic” attempts to exploit the situation. A case involved Olisa Gabriel Chukwuemeka, a student who falsely claimed a 326 score on X, later exposed for doctoring his 2024 result of 203; his actual 2025 score was 180, now withdrawn. The board highlighted systemic issues, including AI-driven malpractice and complicit CBT centers, blacklisting four centers and planning prosecutions. Despite a consistent historical trend of low scores (70–78% below 200 since 2015), the South-South Caucus in the Senate, demanded Oloyede’s resignation, citing “catastrophic institutional failure” and scheduling conflicts with WAEC exams. JAMB plans further mop-up exams and system upgrades to address these challenges.