The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed that over three-quarters of candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored below the 200 mark, out of a total of 400.
Out of 1,955,069 candidates who took the exam, only 420,415 attained scores of 200 and above, indicating that approximately 78.5% of test-takers fell short of the midpoint. The board disclosed this in a statistical report released on its official X account on Monday.
A detailed analysis shows that fewer than 5,000 candidates crossed the 320 mark, while a combined total of just over 12,000 scored 300 and above, representing a fraction (0.63%) of the entire cohort.
The largest concentration of results fell within the 160–199 range, while others were distributed across lower brackets. Fewer than 3,000 candidates scored under 120, highlighting a significant performance gap.
JAMB also reported that 40,247 underage candidates were permitted to sit for the exam due to demonstrated academic strength, but only a small percentage of them met the board’s benchmark for further consideration.
Meanwhile, 97 candidates have been flagged for confirmed misconduct during the examination, and over 2,100 are currently being investigated for suspected malpractice. Additionally, more than 71,000 candidates were absent, and several who faced biometric challenges are under review for possible rescheduling.
The board noted that results for visually impaired candidates and those in special categories are still under processing and will be released soon. JAMB also plans to hold a press briefing later this week to explain how results can be accessed and address issues raised by the public.
