No fewer than 200,000 additional candidates surpassed the 200 mark threshold in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following the resit organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in response to widespread technical and human errors that marred the original exercise.
The updated performance statistics were made public on Sunday, May 25, as the results of the rescheduled examination were released.
According to the examination body, 1,365,479 candidates, representing 70.7 per cent of the total 1.9 million candidates, still scored below 200 after the combined outcomes of the initial UTME and the resit. This, however, marked a notable improvement from the earlier result announced on May 9, 2025, in which over 1.5 million candidates had scored below 200, triggering national concern over an apparent mass failure.
Following public outcry and sustained scrutiny, JAMB conducted an internal investigation that revealed systemic issues including technical faults and human errors. In response, the board scheduled a resit for 379,000 candidates, particularly those in Lagos and the South East where most of the irregularities were detected.
The results from the resit indicate that a substantial number of previously underperforming candidates managed to improve their scores, with about 200,000 more candidates now scoring 200 and above. JAMB stated that the improved outcome is among the best recorded since the introduction of the Computer Based Test (CBT) format in 2013.
A total of 1,931,467 UTME results were released in 2025, accounting for all candidates who participated in the exam. This figure exceeds the 1,842,364 released in 2024, reflecting a steady rise in UTME participation.
The performance statistics show 117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) scored 250 and above, a rise from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023. In the top score bracket of 300 and above, 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) attained this feat, compared to 5,318 (0.35 per cent) in 2023 and only 724 (0.06 per cent) in 2021. Notably, no candidate reached this score level in both 2014 and 2013.
In the 200 and above category, 565,988 candidates, representing 29.3 per cent, scored within this range, up from 439,961 (24 per cent) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36 per cent) in 2023. Despite the progress, the majority still scored below the average, though the failure rate has marginally improved compared to previous years — 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.
A historical analysis highlights significant fluctuations in UTME performance. For instance, only 168,650 candidates (13 per cent) scored 200 and above in 2021, while 568,847 (34 per cent) achieved the same in 2016.
JAMB attributes the performance improvement to ongoing reforms and better candidate familiarity with the CBT system, which has been in place since 2013. The board is expected to provide further guidance on how these results will shape the 2025/2026 tertiary admissions process in the coming weeks.