Following a rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) due to earlier technical and human-related issues, an additional 200,000 candidates have now scored 200 and above in the assessment.
The newly released results from the resit show that 1,365,479 out of approximately 1.9 million candidates (or 70.7%) still scored below the 200 mark after both the original exam and the resit.
When JAMB initially announced the 2025 UTME results on May 9, data revealed that more than 1.5 million test-takers had scored below 200 out of the possible 400, sparking widespread concerns about the integrity of the exam and the performance levels of students.
READ ALSO: 2025 UTME: JAMB releases rescheduled results
Amid mounting criticism, the examination board launched a comprehensive investigation and uncovered both human and technological errors that impacted candidate performance.
This discovery led to the approval of a resit examination for 379,000 affected candidates, particularly from Lagos and several South-East states. Results from the resit, released on Sunday, show marked improvement in many candidates’ scores.
A notable number of those who initially scored below average succeeded in surpassing the 200 mark after retaking the test.
According to JAMB, the total number of candidates who scored less than 200 dropped from over 1.5 million to 1,365,479 following the resit, indicating that roughly 200,000 candidates improved to score above the national average.
The board emphasized that the 2025 outcome reflects one of the best overall performances since the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format was adopted in 2013. JAMB stated that a total of 1,931,467 results were published for 2025, representing every candidate who took part in the examination.
This figure surpasses the 1,842,364 candidates recorded in 2024, pointing to consistent growth in UTME participation year over year.
In comparison, only 8,401 candidates (0.46%) attained similar scores in 2024, and 5,318 (0.35%) achieved the same feat in 2023.
In earlier years, the numbers were significantly lower, with only 724 candidates (0.06%) scoring 300 and above in 2021, and no such results recorded in both 2013 and 2014.
In the score category of 250 and above, the 2025 figures show that 117,373 candidates (6.08%) reached this level, up from 77,070 (4.18%) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73%) in 2023.
Similarly, “565,988 candidates, accounting for 29.3 per cent, scored 200 and above, compared with 439,961 (24 per cent) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36 per cent) in 2023,” the report said.
Despite this notable improvement, a significant proportion — 1,365,479 candidates (70.7%) — still scored below 200. This marks a slight decrease compared to 76% in 2024 and 76.64% in 2023.
Longitudinal comparisons show varied performance trends. For instance, only 168,650 candidates (13%) scored 200 and above in 2021, while in 2016, 568,847 candidates (34%) reached this threshold.
Over the years, however, the number of high-performing candidates has steadily risen, suggesting a broader adaptation to the CBT system and possible improvements in exam preparation and candidate readiness.
Since introducing the CBT format in 2013, JAMB has made ongoing efforts to refine its exam delivery and security protocols.
The 2025 outcomes are viewed by many as evidence of these improvements bearing fruit. More information is expected from JAMB in the coming days regarding how the latest results will influence the 2025 admission cycle into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The results of the rescheduled examination were made available for candidates affected by the technical challenges during the initial phase of the 2025 UTME.
Initially released on May 9, the original results faced scrutiny, leading JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, to announce on May 14 that the performances of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres, primarily in Lagos and South-East Nigeria, had been compromised due to a server-related malfunction.
According to the registrar, the glitch—linked to faulty server updates—resulted in the improper transmission of candidate responses during the first three days of the UTME, thereby necessitating a resit.
In its Sunday announcement, the examination body confirmed that it had now published the results for the affected 379,775 candidates, along with those of over 41,000 under-16 candidates, who also sat the rescheduled exam in both the South-East region and select Lagos centres.
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of the recently conducted 2025 UTME resit examination for candidates at centres impacted by the unfortunate incident.
“While this situation is unfortunate, it has also revealed numerous alarming practices perpetrated by candidates, certain Proprietors of Schools/Computer-Based Test centres, which have exacerbated examination irregularities,” the board said.
“As part of the healing process, the meeting resolved that the withheld results of the underage candidates (except where litigation is involved) who performed below the established standards be released.
Such result does not, however, qualify them for admission, as they had previously signed an undertaking during the registration process acknowledging that only those who meet the prescribed standards would be considered for under-aged special admission.”
With the newly released results, the number of candidates scoring below 200 in the 2025 UTME now stands at 1.3 million, down from the initial 1.5 million. The number of those who scored 200 and above has now risen to 565,988.
 conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) due to earlier technical and human-related issues, an additional 200,000 candidates have now scored 200 and above in the assessment.){kind=link}