KEY POINTS

• JAMB has initiated an urgent review of the 2025 UTME after widespread complaints about technical issues and low scores, with over 1.5 million candidates scoring below 200.

• Candidates have threatened legal action and launched a social media campaign, citing glitches and questionable result accuracy.

• While the Education Minister and JAMB Registrar defend the results as proof of reduced malpractice, public pressure continues for increased transparency and accountability.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has announced an immediate review of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following nationwide complaints of technical issues, incomplete exam questions, and an unprecedented number of low scores.

Channelstv reports that the decision comes amid mounting public pressure and threats of legal action by aggrieved candidates.

In a statement released on Monday by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, JAMB acknowledged the “unusual volume of complaints” received since the release of the UTME results last Friday. These complaints have raised concerns about possible systemic glitches in the computer-based examination, which was taken by nearly 1.9 million candidates.

“We are particularly concerned about the unusual complaints originating from a few states within the federation. We are currently scrutinising these complaints in detail to identify and rectify any potential technical issues,” the statement said.

Low scores spark National backlash and legal threats

The crisis escalated after statistical data released by the Board revealed that more than 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of the total 400 marks—an outcome that triggered outrage nationwide.

Candidates and parents flooded social media with the hashtag #ThisIsNotMyResult, claiming the scores did not reflect their performance or preparation.

Multiple candidates have alleged they experienced system failures during the exam, including screen freezes, missing questions, and login errors. In response, groups of affected students are reportedly preparing to file a class-action lawsuit against JAMB, demanding a thorough investigation and redress.

JAMB stated that it had fast-tracked its post-exam review process, which typically takes place months later, due to the scale of public concern. The review will cover the full UTME cycle: registration, examination execution, and result collation.

“To assist in this process, we have engaged a number of experts, including members from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, Chief External Examiners who are heads of tertiary institutions, the Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa, measurement experts, and Vice Chancellors from various institutions,” Benjamin added.