JAMB Admits Errors in 2025 UTME, Announces Rescheduled Exam for Nearly 380,000 Candidates in Affected States

 

In a major development that has sparked reactions from students, parents, and education stakeholders across the country, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has openly admitted that there were errors during the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The errors, which have now been described as significant, reportedly affected the performance of many candidates, particularly those who sat for the exams in some parts of the country.

This shocking revelation was made public on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by the Registrar of JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, during a press conference held at the JAMB Headquarters in Abuja. In a rare move, Prof. Oloyede accepted full responsibility for what he called a “sabotage” of the 2025 UTME process and assured that corrective measures were already underway.

“What should have been a moment of joy has been marred by one or two errors,” Prof. Oloyede admitted during the briefing.

As a result of these acknowledged issues, the JAMB Registrar announced that the examination body has decided to reschedule a fresh UTME for a total of 379,997 candidates. These candidates were identified as having been affected by the irregularities, and they are mainly from the five South-East states and Lagos State. This rescheduled exam is JAMB's way of giving them a fair chance at success, after the challenges they faced during the initial exam.

Prof. Oloyede emphasized that those affected will begin receiving official communication from the board soon.

“The affected candidates will start getting text messages for reschedule starting from tomorrow (Thursday). I apologise, I take full responsibility,” he said.

However, despite this bold move by the board, many are still asking: What exactly went wrong? Unfortunately, Prof. Oloyede did not go into specific details about the nature of the errors or how the “sabotage” occurred. This has left many speculating, with some pointing fingers at possible technical failures, while others suspect internal mismanagement or even cyber interference.

A Breakdown of the 2025 UTME: Poor Results and Rising Tensions

The UTME is a compulsory national examination conducted annually by JAMB. It serves as the major entry requirement for students seeking admission into Nigeria’s universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. Candidates are tested in four subjects — English Language (which is mandatory), and three other subjects relevant to their intended field of study.

On May 5, 2025, JAMB released the official results of the exam, and the numbers immediately raised red flags across the country. Out of 1.9 million candidates who sat for the exam, over 1.5 million — approximately 79 percent — scored below 200 out of a possible 400. Even more alarming, only 12,414 candidates were able to score 300 and above, a figure that represents less than one percent of all candidates.

This poor performance triggered a nationwide uproar. Thousands of affected students and their families flooded social media with posts expressing frustration, disappointment, and confusion. Many accused JAMB of unfair marking, technical glitches, and systemic problems. Some candidates even went as far as filing lawsuits against the examination body, demanding a thorough review of the process and a possible cancellation or rescheduling of the exams.

JAMB Responds: National Team Assembled to Investigate Complaints

In response to the wave of public outcry, JAMB announced two days ago that it had begun investigating complaints related to the 2025 UTME. The board said that its goal is to identify and resolve any technical or administrative issues that may have compromised the integrity or accuracy of the results.

To ensure that the investigation is thorough and credible, JAMB disclosed that it has put together a powerful team of independent experts. These include:

• Members of the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria

• Chief External Examiners, who are heads of various tertiary institutions

• The Educational Assessment and Research Network in Africa

• Experts in educational measurement and assessment

• Vice Chancellors from universities across the country

This team will carefully review every aspect of the 2025 UTME — from registration and biometric verification to exam delivery and result computation. The hope is that their findings will help JAMB prevent similar problems in the future and restore public confidence in the examination system.

What Happens Next?

As it stands, nearly 380,000 candidates will get a second chance to write their UTME — a rare occurrence in the history of JAMB. The board has promised that these rescheduled exams will be conducted smoothly and transparently. Affected candidates are advised to check their phones regularly, as official text messages from JAMB will begin arriving from Thursday, May 15, 2025.

It is still unclear whether more candidates from other states might also be eligible for a resit, depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigations.

For now, many students and parents across Nigeria are watching and waiting — hoping that JAMB’s promised reforms will bring clarity, fairness, and justice to those whose futures have been shaken by these errors.

Stay tuned to NaijaRush as we continue to monitor this developing story and bring you updates as they happen.