“We are not perfect” – JAMB admits to errors amid mass failure in 2025 UTME

“In spite of our efforts, we are human, we are not perfect,” were the words of the JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, in a press conference admitting to errors per the results of UTME 2025.

In what seems like a rehearsed emotional moment, the registrar insisted on transparency in the process. He, however, acknowledged significant technical errors that compromised the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, affecting nearly 388,000 candidates across 157 centres nationwide.

During the press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Oloyede described the errors as a “moment of joy turned sour” due to discrepancies linked to faulty server updates.

The errors, which went undetected before the results were released, stemmed from a technical glitch caused by one of JAMB’s two service providers.

The issue primarily affected 65 centres in the Lagos zone, impacting 206,610 candidates, and 92 centres in the Owerri zone, affecting 173,387 candidates. Oloyede explained that the problem arose from a failure to upload candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination, particularly in the Lagos and Owerri zones.

The technical personnel deployed by the service provider for the Lagos zone inadvertently failed to update some of the delivery servers, Oloyede stated.

78% UTME candidates failed – JAMB

The 2025 UTME results revealed that over 78% of the 1.95 million candidates scored below 200 out of the 400 maximum obtainable points.

Specifically, 983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored between 160 and 199, the minimum threshold for many higher institutions, while 488,197 (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159. Only 73,441 candidates (3.76%) achieved scores between 250 and 299, and a mere 2,031 (0.10%) scored below 100.

The unusually low performance sparked widespread protests and threats of lawsuits from affected candidates, prompting JAMB to conduct an urgent review.

Oloyede disclosed that the issue was exacerbated by an oversight in the deployment of a software patch for shuffled answer options, a measure introduced to enhance exam integrity.

Despite rigorous mock examinations and system updates, the patch was not properly applied in some servers, leading to grading errors.

Following public outcry, JAMB engaged independent experts, including psychometricians and computer scientists, to audit the system. The audit confirmed that the discrepancies were confined to the identified centres, with no abnormalities detected elsewhere.

To address the issue, JAMB has scheduled a resit of the UTME for all 387,997 affected candidates, starting Friday, May 16. The board has coordinated with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ensure the rescheduled exams do not clash with ongoing WASSCE examinations.

Affected candidates will be notified via SMS, email, and phone calls and are advised to reprint their examination slips for details.

As registrar of JAMB, I hold myself personally responsible, including for the negligence of the service provider, and I unreservedly apologise, Oloyede said.

The announcement has stirred mixed reactions. While some candidates welcome the opportunity to retake the exam, others remain frustrated by the disruption and the initial mishandling of the results.

The incident has reignited debates about the reliability of JAMB’s examination processes, with stakeholders calling for stricter oversight of technical service providers. JAMB has pledged to implement additional safeguards to prevent future errors, including enhanced server monitoring and pre-release audits.

As the resit approaches, candidates are urged to stay updated via JAMB’s official communication channels.

There are, however, no indications that the registrar will address outrage over mass failure or the lawsuit, which may force the exam body to do a more comprehensive audit than it ordinarily does.