The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a swift review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following an unprecedented wave of complaints from candidates. Concerns range from unusually low scores to technical malfunctions experienced during the test, prompting the Board to fast-track its annual post-examination audit.
In a statement signed by JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the Board acknowledged receiving an “unusual volume of complaints” after the release of this year’s UTME results last Friday. As a result, JAMB is accelerating its comprehensive system review, which typically takes place several months after the examination.
“The Board is fast forwarding its annual system review—a comprehensive post-mortem of the examination process that is conducted each year, months after the exercise.
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.
The review, according to Benjamin, will examine all three phases of the UTME process—registration, the examination itself, and result release. He revealed that JAMB has enlisted the expertise of independent professionals to support the investigation.
“To assist in this process, we have engaged a number of experts, including members from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, Chief External Examiners, who are heads of tertiary institutions, the Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa, measurement experts, and Vice Chancellors from various institutions.”
The Board reiterated its commitment to transparency and assured the public that corrective measures would be taken immediately if any systemic issues were identified.
Meanwhile, dissatisfaction among candidates has intensified, with thousands reportedly preparing legal action against the examination body. Students claim that technical problems such as disappearing questions and system errors significantly affected their performance. The situation has fuelled widespread frustration on social media, with the hashtag #ThisIsNotMyResult trending nationwide.
Parents and students have also demanded result verification options, alleging that their scores do not accurately reflect their efforts during the examination. This collective discontent has further raised doubts about the fairness of the testing process.
Despite the backlash, the federal government has taken a different stance. Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the poor results as a sign that anti-cheating policies are finally taking effect. He praised JAMB for its implementation of stricter protocols.
“That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way.
JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been completely eliminated,” said Alausa.
Supporting this view, JAMB Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, highlighted innovations that were introduced to bolster the credibility of the 2025 UTME. Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, 9 May 2025, he explained that the changes were designed to align the exam with global standards.
“Anyone conversant with contemporary methods of trial-testing of test items would not be part of those who consider as error some deliberate actions towards item standardisation,” he said.
Prof Oloyede also announced the successful deployment of a new internally developed software known as JAMB TEST, which replaced older centre accreditation systems such as Autobot and Autotest. He said the upgrade exceeded expectations and contributed significantly to the exam’s integrity.
As scrutiny continues, public confidence in the UTME remains under pressure, with JAMB facing the dual challenge of maintaining examination standards while addressing technical grievances.