JAMB Announces Actual Date Affected UTME Candidates Can Retake Their Exams After Technical Errors
- The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that some 2025 UTME candidates will be allowed to retake their exams starting 16 May 2025
- This decision follows an investigation revealing technical errors that led to a widespread decline in scores
- JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, has apologised to affected students and assured that corrective measures are being implemented to address the issue
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced that from 16 May 2025, certain Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates would be allowed to retake their exams.
This decision followed an investigation that uncovered errors leading to widespread failure in the 2025 UTME, BBC confirmed.
JAMB Announces Actual Date Affected UTME Candidates Can Retake Their Exams After Technical Errors. Photo credit: JambHQ/XSource: Twitter
In an official statement on Wednesday, JAMB acknowledged that various factors had negatively impacted student performance.
Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the JAMB Registrar, publicly apologised to affected students and Nigerians, taking full responsibility for the errors.
He assured candidates that JAMB was actively working to rectify the situation.
As part of the corrective measures, JAMB announced that approximately 379,997 candidates from the recently concluded UTME would be required to retake the examination.
This decision followed numerous complaints from candidates regarding technical glitches, unusually low scores, and inconsistencies in questions and answers.
Affected states and examination centres
JAMB identified 157 examination centres experiencing technical issues within Lagos and Owerri zones.
In the Lagos zone, 65 affected centres were located across Lagos and Oyo States, while 92 centres in Owerri zone were spread across Imo, Abia, Anambra, and Ebonyi States.
New UTME date and candidate requirements
Professor Oloyede confirmed that affected candidates would begin retaking their exams from Friday, 16 May 2025.
The majority of the rescheduled exams would take place on Saturday, requiring candidates to reprint their exam slips to access updated schedules.
Candidates were informed that they would receive text messages or emails specifying their new examination dates and venues. Some individuals might even receive phone calls for further instructions.
Acknowledging potential clashes with ongoing WAEC examinations, JAMB assured candidates that discussions had been held with WAEC organisers to mitigate scheduling conflicts.
JAMB reviews UTME results amid complaints
On Monday, JAMB initiated a review of the 2025 UTME results after receiving an overwhelming number of complaints regarding discrepancies and performance scores.
In an official statement, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin stated that the review aimed to improve the annual examination system.
This comprehensive assessment came in response to widespread concerns from candidates who performed significantly lower than expected compared to previous JAMB exams.
Following the release of results last Friday, many candidates took to social media using the hashtag #thisisnotmyresult to express frustration and call for a review.
JAMB confirmed that 1.5 million candidates scored below 200—one of the lowest overall performances in recent years.
Past JAMB UTME performance trends
Recent UTME results have reflected a decline in candidate scores over the years. In the 2022 UTME, 378,639 candidates scored above 200, while 520,596 scored 190 and above. Additionally, 704,991 achieved scores above 180, while 934,103 scored 170 and above.
Similarly, the 2024 UTME saw 1,904,189 candidates sitting for exams, marking a 24.7% increase from the previous year. However, only 0.4% of candidates scored above 300, and 24% achieved 50% or more (200 out of 400 total points).
Due to declining performance trends, JAMB and various institutions had previously approved a national minimum university admission cut-off mark of 160 in 2019. By 2022/2023, the general cut-off mark for universities was further adjusted to 140.
Now, with over 50% of 2025 UTME candidates scoring below 200, JAMB’s corrective measures aim to ensure a fair evaluation of all affected students.
LASU reacts after JAMB boss publicly admits error
TheTalk.NG earlier reported that Lagos State University (LASU) has publicly expressed its unwavering support for the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, following his bold admission of technical failures during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
In a statement posted on X on 15th May 2025, LASU acknowledged the concerns raised by Nigerians regarding the examination’s conduct while commending Prof. Oloyede’s leadership and integrity.
Source: TheTalk.NG
