JAMB 2025 UTME results the best since 2017 amid resit and exam integrity concerns

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit, revealing a significant improvement in candidates’ performance, making it the best result since 2017. This follows a controversial initial exam marred by technical glitches, which prompted a resit for over 300,000 affected candidates.

According to a comparative analysis shared by education advocate Alex Onyia (@winexviv) on X, the 2025 UTME results show a remarkable turnaround. Out of 1,931,467 total released results, 17,025 candidates (0.88%) scored 300 and above, a sharp increase from the 8,401 (0.46%) in 2024. Additionally, 117,373 candidates (6.08%) scored 250 and above, compared to 77,070 (4.18%) the previous year, while 565,698 candidates (29.3%) scored 200 and above, up from 439,961 (24%) in 2024. This performance surpasses all years since 2017, when 19,889 candidates (0.12%) scored 300 and above out of 1,698,577 total results.

Onyia, who has been vocal about the initial errors in the 2025 UTME, celebrated the outcome, stating, “It is now clearly obvious that this is the best JAMB result since 2017, that’s since the last 9 years. From the worst result a few weeks ago to the best a few weeks later. I saw it, I knew it, and I was right!” His post on May 25, 2025, included a detailed chart comparing UTME results from 2013 to 2025, highlighting the significant improvement.

The resit, which took place between May 16 and May 19, 2025, was scheduled after JAMB acknowledged technical and human errors that affected not less than 379,000 candidates during the initial exam in April. The errors, primarily in Lagos and South-East states, led to widespread outcry over mass failure, with over 1.5 million of the 1.9 million candidates initially scoring below 200. Following sustained pressure, JAMB conducted an audit and rescheduled the exam for affected candidates.

Individual success stories have emerged, reflecting the impact of the resit. One candidate, Nwadike Chukwubuikem Chidiebere, saw their score jump from 153 to 361, as shared in a reply to Onyia’s post. Another candidate improved from 142 to 290, while a third, who initially scored 173, achieved 350 despite battling illness and preparing with only two days’ notice while also writing WAEC exams.

7% of candidates missed UTME resit opportunity

However, the release of the resit results has not been without controversy. JAMB reported that 21,082 candidates (about 7% of the 336,845 rescheduled) were absent from the resit, and over 3,000 candidates were implicated in exam fraud. The board has also faced criticism over exam integrity, with allegations of widespread malpractice involving school proprietors, candidates, and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre operators. JAMB has condemned unregulated tutorial centres for facilitating malpractice and called for government oversight of such institutions.

The improved results have also reignited debates about regional disparities. Some users on X, like @NaijaNative, suggested that the initial poor performance was due to compromised results in the South-East and Lagos, noting that once corrected, the overall performance soared. The South-East caucus in the House of Representatives had previously demanded the resignation of JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, citing “catastrophic institutional failure” and alleging that the technical glitches disproportionately affected their region. However, lawmakers from the South-West countered this demand, describing it as excessive.

Oloyede, who publicly accepted responsibility for the initial errors, has rejected claims of ethnic bias, emphasising that the UTME is a placement test, not a measure of intelligence. He also announced a forthcoming mop-up exam for candidates who missed the resit or the initial UTME, reaffirming JAMB’s commitment to transparency and fairness.

Despite the improved scores, the 2025 UTME saga has raised broader questions about the reliability of Nigeria’s examination processes. Some stakeholders, including @BluntCrazeMan on X, have called for a 10-year audit of JAMB exams, arguing that systemic issues may have persisted for years. Others, like @indulge_tweets, suggested that similar scrutiny should be applied to university grading systems to ensure students receive the results they deserve.

As the 2025 admission process continues, candidates are advised to check their results by sending “UTMERESULT” to 55019 or 66019 via SMS, using the phone number registered with JAMB. The board has also made provisions for printing result slips online for ₦2,000 through the JAMB eFacility Portal, which will be required during admission screening.

While the 2025 UTME resit results have brought relief to many candidates, the episode underscores the need for systemic reforms to ensure fairness, transparency, and reliability in Nigeria’s educational assessment system.