JAMB Registra, Oloyede
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reported that a record number of students scored above 300 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), signaling an upward trend in candidates’ performance since the introduction of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format.
According to data obtained by DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday, 17,025 candidates, representing 0.88 per cent of the 1,931,467 total candidates, scored 300 and above.
This marks the highest number of top scorers since CBT was introduced in 2013.
JAMB’s statistical breakdown further reveals that all 1,931,467 results were released, accounting for 100 per cent of candidates who sat the examination this year.
This is an increase from 1,842,364 results released in 2024, reflecting steady growth in UTME participation over recent years.
In comparison, just 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) scored 300 and above in 2024, while 5,318 candidates (0.35 per cent) achieved that mark in 2023.
Earlier years had much lower figures, with only 724 candidates (0.06 per cent) reaching the 300 mark in 2021, and none in both 2013 and 2014.
In the 250-and-above category, the number of high scorers also rose significantly in 2025.
“117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) attained this range in 2025,” the report states, up from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023.
JAMB also reported that “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.”
Nonetheless, the majority of candidates still scored below the 200 benchmark.
In 2025, 1,365,479 candidates, equivalent to 70.7 per cent, fell below the 200 mark.
This figure shows a slight improvement compared to 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.
A year-by-year performance comparison indicates some fluctuations.
For instance, only 168,650 candidates (13 per cent) scored 200 and above in 2021, while 568,847 candidates (34 per cent) did so in 2016.
The rising number of high scorers in recent years points to improved academic performance and growing familiarity with CBT examinations.
JAMB’s continuous refinement of its exam procedures since the 2013 CBT rollout appears to be yielding positive outcomes, with the 2025 results reflecting the success of these efforts.
In a related development, DAILY GAZETTE earlier reported that JAMB released the results of a resit examination conducted for candidates whose tests were disrupted by a technical fault during the 2025 UTME.
The initial UTME results were made public on May 9. However, on May 14, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that the results of 379,997 candidates from 157 centres, mostly in Lagos and the South-East, had been compromised due to a system glitch.
The registrar confirmed that those affected would be required to retake the exam.
He explained that the glitch stemmed from “faulty server updates, which hindered the proper upload of candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination.”
Further statements from the Board are expected regarding how this year’s UTME outcomes will influence the 2025 tertiary admission process.
