UTME resit results show 200,000 candidates score above 200 – total 565,988 surpasses previous years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Some 200,000 candidates crossed the 200 average mark in the resit Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Examination Board (JAMB), following the technical and human errors that marred the original exam.
JAMB noted in the resit results released on Sunday that the majority of candidates — 1,365,479 (70.7 per cent) of the total 1.9 million — scored below 200 in the combined original and resit tests.
The original results released on May 9 showed that 1.5 million candidates out of the 1.9 million scored below 200 out of 400 marks attainable.
That raised concerns across the country and public pressure led JAMB to investigate the cause of the mass failure which turned out to be technical and human errors in its system that affected Lagos and the five South East states.
JAMB announced a resit exam for 379,000 candidates in the affected areas, and the new results show that several candidates who previously scored below 200, came out with average marks.
JAMB explained that after the resit, the number of candidates who scored below 200 marks reduced from over 1.5 million to 1,365,479, meaning about 200,000 more candidates crossed the average score.
The examiner said:
- The new results as improvement in performance compared with previous years since the adoption of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format in 2013.
- 1,931,467 results were released in 2025, representing 100 per cent of the candidates who wrote the examination.
- This figure surpasses the 1,842,364 results released in 2024 and is an increase in UTME participation over the years.
- In comparison, 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) achieved similar scores in 2024, and 5,318 (0.35 per cent) did so in 2023.
- Earlier figures were generally lower, with only 724 candidates (0.06 per cent) scoring 300 and above in 2021, and none in both 2014 and 2013.
- In the 250 and above category, 117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) attained this range in 2025, an increase from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023.
- In the 2025 UTME, “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 majority of candidates – 1,365,479 (70.7 per cent) – scored below 200 in 2025, better than 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.
- In 2021, only 168,650 candidates (13 per cent) scored 200 and above and 568,847 (34 per cent) in 2016.
The number of high scorers has steadily increased in recent years, suggesting a trend of academic improvement and greater familiarity with the CBT system.
Since the introduction of CBT in 2013, JAMB has continued to refine its examination processes, and the 2025 results appear to reflect the positive impact of these efforts.
On May 14, JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede disclosed that the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres in Lagos and the South East were compromised by human and technical glitches, and said the affected candidates would resit the examination.
The results of the over 41,000 under-16 candidates and the 379,775 candidates who sat the resit were released on Sunday in a statement issued by JAMB which said:
“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.
“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.”
The number of candidates who scored less than 200 in the 2025 UTME now stands at 1.3 million, against the previous 1.5 million.
Candidates who scored 200 and above now stand at 565,988.
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