The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has acknowledged that errors occurred during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), affecting the performance of a significant number of candidates.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, May 14, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, announced that a fresh UTME would be conducted for 379,997 candidates in Lagos and five South-East states.
“What should have been a moment of joy has been marred by one or two errors,” Oloyede said, admitting to what he described as a “sabotage” of this year’s UTME process. He added that affected candidates would begin receiving rescheduling notifications via SMS starting Thursday, May 15.
“I apologise. I take full responsibility,” he stated, though he did not provide details on the nature of the errors.
The UTME is a key requirement for admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions. It consists of four subjects, including English Language, which is compulsory, and three other subjects related to the candidate’s intended field of study.
JAMB had earlier released the results of the exam on May 5. Out of the 1.9 million candidates who sat for the test, over 1.5 million—about 79%—scored below 200 out of a possible 400. Only 12,414 candidates (less than 1%) scored 300 and above, sparking widespread concern and backlash from students and parents.
The backlash led to calls for a review of the results, with some families even filing legal actions against the board.
In response, JAMB announced that it is conducting a comprehensive review of the exam process and has assembled a panel of experts, including representatives from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, vice chancellors, educational assessment specialists, and chief external examiners from various institutions.
The board says it is committed to resolving the technical issues and ensuring fairness for all affected candidates.