Over 1.5 Million UTME Candidates Score Below 200: Growing Concerns Overseas

On Monday, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced the outcomes of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, sparking worries over widespread underperformance with more than 1.5 million out of 1.9 million students who received their scores obtaining less than 200 points.

The UTME score ranges from 0 to 400, with each of the four subjects contributing up to 100 marks towards the total.

The data disclosed by JAMB on Monday indicates that out of all test-takers, 983,187 students ( constituting 50.29% ) obtained scores ranging from 160 to 199, whereas another group comprising 488,197 individuals (equivalent to 24.97%) achieved marks between 140 and 159.

In addition, 57,419 candidates (2.94%) achieved scores ranging from 120 to 139.

On the contrary, top-performing individuals constituted a much smaller group. Just 4,756 applicants (0.24%) achieved scores of 320 and higher, whereas 7,658 participants (0.39%) obtained marks ranging from 300 to 319. Consequently, the cumulative count of those scoring at least 300 reached 12,414 (0.63%).

An additional 73,441 applicants (3.76%) obtained scores ranging from 250 to 299, while 334,560 candidates (17.11%) achieved scores between 200 and 249. This latter score range is often considered strong enough to be competitive for admission into numerous universities.

The board also revealed that among the 40,247 underage students who sat for the examination, merely 467 (1.16%) were deemed to have exceptional abilities based on their performance.

Although these applicants had the chance to showcase their scholarly abilities, JAMB stated that "their progress through the next three phases remains uncompleted," suggesting that their assessment is still underway.

Apart from academic achievements, JAMB highlighted concerns regarding several operational issues faced during the examination.

The board stated that 97 candidates have been found guilty of exam misconduct, whereas 2,157 more individuals are presently being investigated for suspected wrongdoings.

Absenteeism was also notable in this year’s examination, with 71,701 registered candidates failing to show up.

JAMB did not offer a detailed account or rationale for these instances of absence.

The 2025 UTME results come amid increasing scrutiny of Nigeria’s education system and underscore the need for ongoing reforms to improve student preparedness and institutional accountability.

Reacting to the results, popular medical commentator @OurFavOnlineDoc criticised both JAMB and the government. He also raised issues with the exam’s scheduling.

He stated, "More than three-quarters of the students who sat for this examination did not pass it. This reflects poorly on JAMB and is a significant disgrace for the government. It is outrageous to schedule an exam at 6:30 AM, which is a highly risky hour, and subsequently be surprised about the high failure rate among these young people."

Dipo Awojide, an advocate for education and careers, linked the decrease in academic performance to unfavorable lifestyles and negative dispositions towards learning.

He also attributed the impact of older youths spreading the idea that "school is a scam."

He penned, "Fifty percent of applicants obtained scores under two hundred marks in the JAMB test. This doesn’t surprise me at all. In an era where young people dedicate over half their day to platforms like TikTok, achieving even close to fifty percent in exams becomes nearly impossible. These aspirations are further undermined by remarks from less motivated upperclassmen claiming 'school is a fraud.' Additionally, this decline can also be attributed to the erosion of core familial principles such as diligence, perseverance, and striving for personal improvement. Education isn't a deception; however, by the time numerous individuals realize this truth, they may have missed their chance."

Likewise, another X user identified as @UgwunnaEjikem highlighted a concerning change in the priorities of young people,"

He penned, "The JAMB scores have been dropping annually. Adolescents today seem more drawn towards criminal activities, substance abuse, and scams rather than focusing on their studies or acquiring practical skills. The situation suggests there’s trouble brewing."

Meanwhile, The Online JAMB Class Academy also weighed in with additional data from JAMB, revealing that out of 40,247 underage candidates who sat for the exam under a special “exceptional ability” provision, only 467 (1.16%) scored high enough to meet the benchmark for that category.

Furthermore, the platform disclosed that 97 candidates were confirmed to have committed examination infractions, while 2,157 are currently under investigation for suspected malpractices.

Additional complexities involve problems with biometric verification, leading to some candidates needing to be rescheduled. More than 71,000 students were recorded as absent, and certain segments of the results—such as those pertaining to visually impaired candidates and members of the Joint External Observer Group (JEOG)—are yet to be finalized.

“JAMB is expected to hold a press conference later in the week to announce individual results and clarify concerns,” the platform added.

A user named @Sportify commented, "Widespread failure for 1.5 million students, with some critics suggesting Generation Z doesn't prioritize education. However, realistically speaking, Nigeria faces significant economic turmoil and immense struggle for many people. In this situation, whom should we hold accountable? The younger generation or previous ones?"

@Abimbola, on her end, mentioned that many of the children lacked academic capabilities, pointing to their role models as an indication.

“Asides the flaw on Jamb’s part, most of these kids are not academically capable. They have entertainers as role models, the yearning for academic success has reduced to a worrisome degree. They’re a reflection of what our society has turned to.”

LightSkinMania wrote, “If you look at the condition of the average Nigerian school and the living standard of the average Nigerian teacher you’d be surprised that the jamb failure rate isn’t like 90%. We can only keep up the facade of a functioning education system for so long.”

Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).

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