The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that a significant majority of candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored below the midpoint mark of 200 out of a possible 400.
According to official data released on Monday, only 420,415 candidates out of 1,955,059 who registered for the exam achieved scores of 200 and above. This figure represents just over 21 percent of the total, leaving a staggering 1,534,654 candidates — or 78.49 percent — falling short of the 200 mark.
The performance breakdown also shows that high-scoring candidates were extremely few. Just 7,658 candidates managed to score between 300 and 319, while only 4,756 surpassed the 320 mark. In total, less than 1 percent of all UTME candidates scored above 300.
JAMB’s report also highlighted that 40,247 underage candidates were granted special permission to take the exam as part of a policy aimed at encouraging exceptionally gifted students. However, only 467 of them — about 1.16 percent — met the board’s benchmark for extraordinary performance. Their final status will depend on further assessments in three additional evaluation stages.
Meanwhile, the board noted that 71,701 registered candidates were absent from the examination. JAMB also confirmed 97 cases of exam infractions and disclosed that 2,157 other candidates are under investigation for possible malpractice.
Regarding candidates who encountered biometric verification issues, the board stated that their cases are under review. Those who are cleared will be given the opportunity to sit for the exam at a later date.
JAMB also mentioned that results for blind candidates and those under the Joint Examination for the Gifted (JEOG) category are still being processed. A comprehensive press briefing is expected later this week to guide all candidates on how to officially access their results.
The sharp drop in performance has triggered renewed concerns over the quality of secondary education in Nigeria and the preparedness of students for higher education.
