1.5m of 1.9 registered JAMB candidates score less than 200 in 2025
By Samuel Ogunsona
Standards of education across the country is falling according to new figures released by the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)
In the new report, a staggering 1.5 million candidates scored less than 200 in the to the statistical analysis of the exam results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday and made available to Irohinoodua.
Out of 1,955,069 candidates who sat for the exam, only 420,415 candidates scored above 200.
This means that a whopping 75% of candidates scored below 200 in the exam, with less than 1% scoring above 300.
JAMB’s data showed that the performance of candidates in the 2025 UTME was generally poor, with many candidates struggling to meet the minimum score required for admission into tertiary institutions.
In a statement accompanying the data, JAMB said, “40,247 underage candidates were permitted to demonstrate their exceptional abilities. However, only 467 of these candidates (1.16%) achieved scores that meet the threshold for exceptional ability as defined for the UTME, with their performance in the subsequent three stages still pending.”
The board also revealed that 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions, while 2,157 others are currently undergoing investigations for suspected malpractices. Additionally, 71,701 candidates were absent from the exam.
“Those facing biometric challenges are also under investigation, and those who are cleared will be rescheduled for examination at designated centres,” JAMB said.
“Furthermore, few of the results, including those of blind candidates and others in the JEOG candidates group, are still being processed.”
JAMB announced that a press conference to announce the individual results of candidates and to facilitate result checking will be held later this week.
The poor performance of candidates in the 2025 UTME has raised concerns about the quality of education in the country and the preparedness of students for tertiary education.
As the results are being processed and released, candidates and parents alike are eagerly awaiting the outcome, which will determine their admission prospects into tertiary institutions.
