The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that 1,955,069 candidates sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) despite multiple reports of technical disruptions across the country.
According to official data released by JAMB, the examination which took place on April 24 was marred by system failures at several Computer-Based Test centres. Candidates reported biometric verification issues, network instability and abrupt shutdown of computers during the examination sessions.
In a public update, JAMB confirmed that 71,701 candidates were recorded as absent while 2,157 are currently under investigation for suspected malpractice. The board stated that 97 candidates were caught in acts of misconduct and their results have been withheld.
A performance breakdown revealed that only 4,756 candidates scored 320 and above, representing 0.24 percent of the total candidates.
A total of 7,658 scored between 300 and 319 while 73,441 scored between 250 and 299. The largest concentration of scores fell between 160 and 199 with 983,187 candidates or 50.29 percent.
JAMB noted that biometric failures affected a number of candidates who were unable to sit at their scheduled times.
The board said it is reviewing these cases and only those cleared after verification will be allowed to retake the examination at special centres.
Several candidates also reported system errors that affected their testing experience. In some cases, questions failed to load completely while others reported discrepancies in question sequencing and system timeouts.
The board also recorded participation by 40,247 underage candidates following its policy to allow exceptionally gifted individuals below 16 years to participate.
However, only 467 of them scored 300 and above the minimum benchmark for further academic evaluation.
Candidates with visual impairments were tested under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group using Braille and Read-Aloud formats.
JAMB said their results are undergoing a separate validation process and will be released upon completion of reviews.
The board plans to hold a press briefing later in the week to announce the final release of all candidates’ results and outline next steps for admission processing.
JAMB stated that the 2025 UTME outcome reflects broader system challenges and emphasized its commitment to continuous improvement of the examination process.
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