2025 UTME: Over 1.5 Million Candidates Score Below 200 in JAMB
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the official performance statistics for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing that a staggering 78.5% of candidates scored below 200 out of a total of 400 marks.
According to a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, JAMB disclosed that 1,955,069 candidates sat for the exam. Of this figure, 1,534,654 candidates failed to hit the 200 mark, placing them in the lower band of performance.
Only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) scored 320 and above, while 7,658 (0.39%) achieved scores between 300 and 319. In total, just 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 or higher.
Other score brackets include:
- 250–299: 73,441 candidates (3.76%)
- 200–249: 334,560 candidates (17.11%)
- 160–199: 983,187 candidates (50.29%) — the largest category
- 140–159: 488,197 candidates (24.97%)
- 120–139: 57,419 candidates (2.94%)
- 100–119: 3,820 candidates (0.20%)
- Below 100: 2,031 candidates (0.10%)
JAMB also revealed that 40,247 underage candidates were allowed to take the exam under a special consideration for those with “exceptional abilities.” However, only 467 (1.16%) of them met the performance benchmark for that category. These candidates will undergo additional assessment in the next three stages of evaluation.
The board also reported 97 confirmed cases of examination infractions and stated that 2,157 candidates are under investigation for suspected malpractice.
Additionally, 71,701 candidates were marked absent, while others facing biometric challenges are undergoing verification. JAMB stated that verified candidates will be rescheduled to sit for the exam.
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Some results, including those for blind candidates and those in the JEOG category, are still being processed and will be released upon completion.
A press briefing is expected later this week to provide updates on how candidates can access their results and to address public concerns.
In comparison, the 2024 UTME had 1.94 million registrants, with similar trends: only 0.4% scored above 300 and 24% scored 200 or higher. Female candidates outnumbered their male counterparts for the first time in three years, with 50.6% of total registrations. The number of persons living with disabilities also rose by 36.2%, reaching 3,164 candidates.
