The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing a significant decline in candidate performance.
Key Statistics from the 2025 UTME
Total Candidates: 1,955,069 sat for the examination.
Scores Above 300: Only 12,414 candidates (0.63%) achieved this benchmark.
Scores Between 200–249: Approximately 334,560 candidates (17.11%) fell within this range.
Scores Between 160–199: A significant 983,187 candidates (50.29%) scored within this bracket.
Scores Below 160: Over 550,000 candidates scored below this threshold, with 488,197 (24.97%) scoring between 140–159, 57,419 (2.94%) between 120–139, and 5,851 (0.30%) below 120.
These figures indicate that more than 75% of candidates scored below 200, highlighting concerns about the preparedness of students for tertiary education.
Investigations and Special Cases
Examination Malpractice: JAMB is investigating 2,157 candidates for alleged examination malpractices.
Underage Candidates: Out of 40,247 underage candidates permitted to take the exam, only 467 (1.16%) achieved scores meeting the exceptional ability threshold.
Biometric Challenges: Candidates who faced biometric verification issues are under review, with those cleared to be rescheduled for the examination
Implications for Tertiary Admissions
The decline in high scores may influence admission cut-off marks for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. JAMB has yet to announce the official cut-off marks for the 2025 admission cycle.
Sources: Premium Times
