UTME 2025: JAMB exams performance drops as 78% score below 200

Performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has declined compared to last year, with a higher percentage of candidates failing to score 200 and above.

Data released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday revealed that more than 1.5 million candidates, representing 78 per cent of the total 1.96 million who sat for the exam, scored below 200 out of the 400 obtainable points.

The result marks a drop in performance from the 2024 UTME, when 76 per cent of candidates fell below the 200 mark. At that time, 24 per cent crossed the threshold. This year, only 22 per cent — or 420,415 candidates — scored above 200, indicating a further dip in outcomes despite similar participation numbers.

The 2025 results also show a slight increase in the number of candidates scoring above 300 points — 12,414 candidates or 0.63 per cent, compared to just 8,000 or 0.5 per cent last year. However, this marginal rise at the top end is overshadowed by the broader decline in general performance.

JAMB said candidates will be able to access their individual results later this week after a press briefing is held.

The UTME, which is a mandatory entrance exam for admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, was conducted between 24 April and 5 May across hundreds of Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.

Underage Participation

The board reported that 97 candidates were confirmed to have committed examination infractions, while 2,157 others are currently under investigation for suspected malpractice.

This year, 40,247 underage candidates were allowed to sit for the examination under an exception rule. However, only 467 candidates (1.16 per cent of them) achieved scores that meet the “exceptional ability” threshold as defined by the examination board.

JAMB’s rule says candidates must be at least 16 years on admission. Younger children must be able to score at least 300 to be considered exceptional, its new policy says.