The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released a detailed analysis of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing that only 21.5% of candidates scored above 200 out of over 1.95 million who sat for the exam nationwide.
Announced on Monday, 5 May 2025, via the Board’s official handle on X, the statistics offer a sobering snapshot of candidate performance. From the 1,955,069 candidates who took part, only 420,415 attained scores above 200, while nearly 78.5% fell below that threshold.
The breakdown shows that 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, while 7,658 (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319. A further 73,441 candidates (3.76%) scored between 250 and 299, and 334,560 (17.11%) recorded scores between 200 and 249. The majority of test-takers, 983,187 (50.29%), scored between 160 and 199, while 488,197 (24.97%) scored between 140 and 159.
JAMB also addressed the participation of underage candidates, disclosing that 40,247 minors were permitted to take the 2025 UTME based on special consideration for exceptional ability. However, only 467 (1.16%) of these candidates met the set threshold for outstanding performance. Their progression to the next three stages of assessment remains pending.
“As part of the results, 40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending,” the Board stated.
On the matter of exam misconduct, JAMB revealed that 97 candidates were found to have committed direct infractions during the test. In addition, 2,157 others are currently under investigation for suspected examination malpractice.
“Of the total number registered, 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions, while 2,157 others are currently undergoing investigations for suspected malpractices,” the agency said.
The Board further disclosed that 71,701 candidates did not appear for the examination, with some cases attributed to biometric verification issues. Investigations are ongoing to verify their eligibility, and those cleared will be given a new examination date at designated centres.
“Those facing biometric challenges are also under investigation, and those who are cleared will be rescheduled for examination at designated centres,” JAMB noted.
Additionally, the Board clarified that some results are still being processed, including those of blind candidates and others under the JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG). These outstanding results will be released once the necessary evaluations are concluded.JAMB Reveals 21.5% Success Rate in 2025 UTME, 2,157 Under Investigation