The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced an immediate review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following public outrage over alleged technical malfunctions and an alarming rate of mass failure.
In a statement issued by Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor on Monday, the board confirmed it had received an “unusual volume of complaints” since the release of the UTME results last Friday.
The controversy gained momentum after statistical data revealed that over 1.5 million of the 1.9 million candidates who sat the 2025 UTME scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks.
Candidates and parents have flooded social media platforms with complaints, citing issues such as system glitches, incomplete questions, and inconsistent question displays during the exam. The hashtag #ThisIsNotMyResult has gone viral, capturing the frustration of thousands who claim their scores do not reflect their performance.
In response, JAMB has fast-tracked its annual post-examination review, which usually takes place months after the exam. The review will cover all three stages of the UTME process—registration, examination, and result release—to identify and resolve any potential flaws.
“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states within the federation. We are currently scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify any potential technical issues,” the statement read.
JAMB stated it is collaborating with external experts to ensure a thorough investigation. These include members of the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, university Vice Chancellors, Chief External Examiners, and representatives from the Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa.
Fabian Benjamin emphasised that if faults are confirmed, the board would implement “appropriate remedial measures promptly.”
As the controversy deepens, reports have emerged that thousands of aggrieved candidates are preparing to launch a class-action lawsuit against JAMB. Allegations of system errors and a lack of transparency in result collation have fuelled demands for accountability.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, defended the integrity of JAMB’s Computer-Based Testing (CBT) system during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief. He claimed the technology had significantly reduced exam malpractice and suggested it be extended to other national exams like WAEC and NECO.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, also downplayed the backlash, asserting that similar performance patterns had been observed in previous UTME editions
