JAMB Confirms Release Date for Rescheduled UTME 2025 Results: What Every Nigerian Candidate Should Know
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially announced that the results of the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)—conducted between Friday, May 16 and Monday, May 19, 2025—will be released on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
This announcement is a crucial update for thousands of Nigerian students and parents eagerly awaiting the outcome of the UTME, which serves as a gateway to higher education in Nigeria. The UTME is a pivotal examination for securing admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. For many candidates, their future academic path depends significantly on their UTME performance.
Why Was the UTME 2025 Rescheduled?
JAMB initially conducted the 2025 UTME in early May. However, shortly after the initial batch of examinations, widespread reports emerged of technical glitches and irregularities experienced by candidates during the exam sessions. According to JAMB, these problems had a significant impact on the credibility and accuracy of the exam results.
In response to mounting complaints from candidates, parents, and education stakeholders, the board took a bold step. It decided to reschedule the UTME for certain affected candidates to ensure that everyone had a fair chance to write the examination under proper conditions.
In an official statement, JAMB confirmed that:
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board says results of the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which took place between Friday, May 16 and Monday, May 19, would be released on Wednesday, May 21.”
This move is aimed at restoring fairness, accuracy, and transparency in the UTME process, ensuring that no candidate is unduly disadvantaged due to technical issues beyond their control.
What Led to the Rescheduling?
JAMB explained that the rescheduling was necessary because the board had “identified technical glitches as being responsible for the wrong results some candidates had, as well as the irregularities some candidates suffered while writing the examination.”
This highlights a growing concern about the integrity of computer-based testing in Nigeria. Many candidates reported that they encountered issues such as:
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Computers shutting down mid-exam
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Slow or frozen testing interfaces
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Inability to log into the examination platform
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Missing questions or incomplete subjects
These problems meant that some students were unable to complete their exams or received inaccurate scores when the initial results were released. Naturally, this sparked anger, confusion, and concern among candidates and their families, prompting JAMB to investigate and take corrective action.
How Many Candidates Took the 2025 UTME?
This year, over 1.9 million candidates registered and sat for the 2025 UTME across various centers nationwide. The sheer volume of candidates highlights how crucial the examination is in Nigeria’s educational system.
However, JAMB also disclosed a very concerning statistic:
More than 1.5 million of the candidates scored less than 200 out of a possible 400 marks.
This means over 78% of candidates scored below 50% in the exam. This has raised considerable alarm among stakeholders, including educators, parents, tertiary institutions, and policymakers. Many are now questioning whether the problem lies with the students, the curriculum, the exam system itself, or a combination of all three.
Why Are UTME Scores So Low?
The unusually low UTME scores in 2025 have triggered serious debates across the country. Some experts have blamed poor preparation by candidates, while others argue that the issues are deeper and more systemic.
Here are a few possible reasons:
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Technical Problems During the Exam: Candidates affected by system failures may not have been able to finish their exams properly.
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Inadequate Preparation: Some students might not have studied enough or didn’t have access to quality learning resources.
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Curriculum Gaps: There could be a disconnect between what students are taught in secondary school and what they are tested on in UTME.
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Exam Anxiety: With high stakes and nationwide competition, many students struggle with pressure during the exams.
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Computer-Based Testing Challenges: Not all students are comfortable using computers, especially those from rural or underserved areas.
This combination of factors could explain why the majority of students failed to score above 200, a score typically considered competitive for university admission.
What’s Next for UTME Candidates?
If you or someone you know took the rescheduled UTME between May 16 and May 19, it’s important to note the following:
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Results will be released on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
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Candidates can check their results through the official JAMB result-checking portal or by sending an SMS (details will be provided by JAMB).
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Be patient if the website experiences high traffic during result release. It’s common for the JAMB portal to be temporarily slow when results are newly released.
Additionally, students are advised to:
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Start preparing their JAMB Change of Institution or Course if needed.
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Monitor cut-off marks for their preferred universities and courses.
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Consider other admission options, such as polytechnics and colleges of education, especially if their scores are below expected cut-offs.
The Bigger Picture: What Can Be Done?
The chaos surrounding the 2025 UTME shows that Nigeria still has a long way to go in achieving a truly efficient and fair examination system. To improve, stakeholders must:
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Upgrade JAMB infrastructure to avoid technical glitches in future exams.
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Train candidates and invigilators on using CBT systems effectively.
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Improve education funding to strengthen learning at the secondary school level.
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Review the UTME syllabus to ensure it reflects what students are taught in schools.
It is also important for JAMB to maintain transparency and accountability, particularly when releasing results and managing technical failures. Parents and schools must also play a more active role in preparing students not just academically, but emotionally and technically for such high-stakes exams.
Final Thoughts: Hope for the Future
Despite the challenges, the rescheduled UTME results offer a second chance to thousands of students who were affected by technical hitches. JAMB’s decision to reschedule and re-administer the test for those candidates is a commendable step toward fairness.
As we await the results on May 21, students are encouraged to stay calm, focused, and hopeful. Whether your UTME score is high or low, remember that there are multiple paths to success. Education is a journey, and one exam does not define your entire future.
Stay tuned to NaijaRush.com for the latest updates on:
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JAMB result release and checking procedures
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Cut-off marks for Nigerian universities and polytechnics
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Admission lists and screening updates
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WAEC and NECO news
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Nigerian education trends and policy changes
