Some candidates who participated in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have demanded a total cancellation of the results following the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) admission of technical errors that affected performance.
Over 1.5 million candidates reportedly scored below 200, sparking public outcry and raising concerns about technical faults, poor time management, and inadequate preparation.
While many blamed systemic issues, others pointed to individual lapses.
At a press conference held in Abuja, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, was visibly emotional as he apologized for the failure in the examination process.
“I want to make it clear that our review and investigation reveal that there are grounds for the complaints about our 2025 UTME results and this press conference is convened with a view to unveiling the bitter truth of our findings openly and objectively,” Oloyede stated.
He explained that the board had adopted a new system this year, transitioning from a form-based to a single item-based examination, considered the international standard.
“As part of our preparations for this year, we upgraded our system… and still went ahead to develop our own JAMBTEST, a software innovated in-house by a small team led by our own staff, Dubem,” he said.
However, a major glitch occurred due to a service provider’s failure to deploy an updated grading software, affecting 65 centres in Lagos (206,610 candidates) and 92 centres in the Owerri zone (173,387 candidates across the South-East). In total, 379,997 candidates were impacted.
“I apologise for the trauma caused the candidates and I take full responsibility for this,” Oloyede said.
Despite JAMB’s robust quality assurance processes, including mock exams, simulations, and oversight by stakeholders such as university vice-chancellors and civil society groups, the issue still occurred.
“This unfortunate incident represents significant self-harm to the integrity we’ve built over the years. But we remain committed to transparency, fairness, and equity. It is our culture to admit error and take responsibility,” he added.
Oloyede noted that, in light of public concern, the board accelerated its usual June review process.
Emergency meetings were convened with educators, psychometricians, and student groups to identify the issues and determine solutions.
He further confirmed that affected candidates would receive SMS notifications and be required to reprint their exam slips for rescheduled examinations on Friday and Saturday.
“The System Failed Us” Students React
Aham Ijendu Chimereze, who wrote his exam at Unique Computer Institution in Owerri, said he would welcome the chance to retake the exam if the issues could be resolved.
Uchenna Eme shared a similar experience: “I was scheduled to write my exam by 6am and the JAMB had to extend it to 4pm and still changed my centre same day of the exam. I have not checked my result… but I don’t mind retaking as well.”
Another candidate, Jennifer, said: “During the examination, the electricity went off and the network failed.”
Hassan Abdul from Lokoja, Kogi State, argued that, “It will be best if the entire results are cancelled, so that they all retake it.”
Mercy Obinna from Anambra echoed that view: “The entire exercise should be cancelled and let all of us retake the exams.”
However, some students disagreed.
Shoneye Neemah Darasimi from Lagos said, “When I first saw my result, honestly, I was so proud and relieved… Now hearing that some of the results were reversed, I am shocked, confused, and honestly heartbroken.”
She added: “That result was our ticket to starting the process early. Now everything feels uncertain again like we’re starting from scratch.”
Falola Deborah Oluwatunmise, another Lagos candidate, explained, “I had technical glitches in my own, like 1 – 11 for me were just answers, no questions… and my own exam questions stopped at 55 instead of 60.”
She continued: “What if they ask me to come back and write this exam again and God forbid, my score is not up to the one I got the last time? I’ll be so disappointed and I’ll really hate JAMB for it and myself too.”
Parents Express Disappointment, Caution
Sydney Obi, a parent, said the errors caused significant emotional distress. “I think JAMB should have done proper auditing before making official release after the first statistic they published generated a lot [of] outcry.”
Funmilayo Lawrence appreciated the registrar’s openness: “If every office holder can do this, every sector will be better for it… Those affected would be made to resit the exam, which for me is commendable.”
Ogundipe Bosede Olaitan expressed concern over underage candidates. “During the registration, we were not told that the result was not going to be released… I am just appealing to the JAMB officials that they should please release the results of those underage candidates.”
Professor Nasiru Idris of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, recommended immediate result disclosure. “JAMB should look for a software that will disclose result immediately after answering the last question.”
Education expert Oyarekhua Happiness added, “You can’t tell me JAMB will encourage failures. If they actually failed, it is understandable but giving them what they did not deserve makes it seem unjust, so the reversal is justified.”
She urged JAMB to innovate further, stressing, “This is a national issue and they can’t keep going front and back on issues like this. It’s a good step, hopefully the best will come out for it.”
