More than 200,000 additional candidates scored 200 and above in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following a resit conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The supplementary exam was organized in response to widespread technical and human errors that compromised the integrity of the initial exercise.
JAMB released updated performance statistics on Sunday, May 25, coinciding with the publication of the resit results. According to the board, 1,365,479 candidates — representing 70.7% of the total 1.9 million who sat for the exam — still scored below the 200-mark threshold, even after the combined assessment of both the initial UTME and the resit.
This, however, reflects a significant improvement from the figures announced on May 9, 2025, when over 1.5 million candidates had initially fallen below the 200 mark, sparking nationwide concerns about mass failure.
In response to the public outcry, JAMB launched an internal investigation that uncovered several systemic issues, including technical malfunctions and human-induced errors. Consequently, the board scheduled a resit for approximately 379,000 candidates — predominantly from Lagos and the South East — where the highest incidence of irregularities was identified.
The results of the rescheduled examination showed marked progress, with around 200,000 previously underperforming candidates now scoring 200 and above. JAMB noted that this represents one of the most substantial performance improvements since the Computer Based Test (CBT) format was adopted in 2013.
In total, JAMB released 1,931,467 UTME results for the 2025 exercise, an increase from the 1,842,364 results issued in 2024, underscoring a steady rise in candidate participation.
Detailed performance metrics revealed that 117,373 candidates (6.08%) scored 250 and above — a noticeable increase compared to 77,070 (4.18%) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73%) in 2023. In the top performance bracket of 300 and above, 8,401 candidates (0.46%) achieved this feat, up from 5,318 (0.35%) in 2023 and just 724 (0.06%) in 2021. It is worth noting that no candidate reached this benchmark in 2013 and 2014.
The number of candidates scoring 200 and above climbed to 565,988 (29.3%) — a significant rise from 439,961 (24%) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36%) in 2023. While the majority still scored below 200, the overall failure rate has seen a slight decline compared to previous years — down from 76% in 2024 and 76.64% in 2023.
A historical review shows erratic trends in UTME performance. In 2021, only 168,650 candidates (13%) scored 200 or more, while 568,847 candidates (34%) achieved that benchmark in 2016.
JAMB attributed the recent improvements to ongoing reforms and increased candidate familiarity with the CBT format. The board is expected to release further information in the coming weeks on how the updated results will influence the 2025/2026 tertiary admissions process.
