379,997 Candidates To Retake 2025 UTME As JAMB Registrar Weeps, Admits Responsibility
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has admitted responsibility for the mass failure that trailed the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
JAMB registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, fought tears at a press conference on Wednesday, while admitting to the ugly development.
He announced that about 379,997 candidates in the just concluded 2025 examination would retake the examination.
This followed widespread complaints of technical glitches, unusually low scores, and alleged irregularities in the just-concluded UTME.
Prof. Oloyede, who wept profusely, intermittently wiping his face with a handkerchief, said he took full responsibility for the negligence of its staff, revealing that 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres in Owerri Zone covering the five states in the South East, would rewrite the exam.
The UTME is a critical prerequisite for admission into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. It tests candidates in four subjects, including the compulsory Use of English, with the other three drawn from their proposed field of study.
In the previous released results, out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of the maximum 400 marks, raising concerns across the education sector.
According to the examination agency, a total of 1,955,069 results were processed, out of which only 4,756 candidates (0.24 per cent) scored 320 and above, considered top-tier performance, while 7,658 candidates (0.39 per cent) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total for those who scored 300 and above to 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent).
Also, 73,441 candidates (3.76 per cent) scored between 250 and 299 while 334,560 candidates (17.11 per cent) scored between 200 and 249.
A total of 983,187 candidates (50.29 per cent) scored between 160 and 199, which is widely regarded as the minimum threshold for admissions in many institutions.
