More than 1.5 million candidates who sat for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination scored below 200, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has said.
This was revealed in a breakdown of the UTME results released by JAMB on Monday.
Out of the 1,955,069 candidates who wrote the exam, only 420,415 scored above 200.
The board said the data means about 75 per cent of the candidates scored less than 200, while less than one per cent scored above 300.
In a statement, JAMB explained, “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.”
JAMB also revealed that 97 candidates were caught in exam malpractice, while 2,157 are under investigation for suspected cheating.
Also, 71,701 candidates were absent during the exam, and some others with biometric problems are still being checked. Those cleared will be allowed to take the exam at another time.
The board added that results for blind candidates and some other special groups are still being processed.
It said, “A press conference to announce the individual results of candidates and to facilitate result checking will be held later this week.”
The 2025 UTME has drawn attention due to the low performance of candidates, sparking concern among parents, teachers, and education experts across the country.
