Amid widespread public outrage over poor performance and alleged technical glitches in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board will on Thursday convene an emergency review meeting with heads of tertiary institutions and education stakeholders.
An official document obtained on Monday revealed that vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, principals, examiners, and technical experts have been invited to assess the conduct and outcome of the examination.
The meeting, which follows last Friday’s release of results showing over 75 per cent of candidates scored below 200, is expected to probe complaints of system failures, incomplete questions, and possible scoring errors.
“This review is critical to restoring public confidence in our processes,” the board said in a notice, adding that participants were drawn from the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, and the Educational Assessment and Research Network, among others.
The review panel, JAMB said, is mandated to identify technical or systemic challenges and make recommendations to prevent a recurrence. Their work, it added, will come at no cost to the board.
Out of the 1,955,069 candidates whose results were processed, only 4,756 scored 320 and above—representing a mere 0.24 per cent—while just 12,414 candidates (0.63 per cent) scored over 300. In contrast, over 983,000 candidates fell within the 160–199 band, often considered the minimum benchmark for university admission.
JAMB spokesperson, Dr Fabian Benjamin, acknowledged the surge in complaints from some states, saying the board was fast-tracking its post-examination audit.
“We’re looking closely at these issues and will take appropriate steps where necessary. Candidates genuinely affected by disruptions will be rescheduled in line with our existing policy,” he said.
Despite defending the results as consistent with trends from the past 12 years, JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, admitted that public concern warranted thorough scrutiny.
In 2024, 76 per cent of candidates also scored below 200, while over 78 per cent and 99 per cent scored below 300 in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, welcomed the outcome as evidence that efforts to curb exam malpractice are working.
“This result reaffirms the integrity of JAMB’s processes. It shows our anti-cheating reforms are taking root,” Alausa stated.
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