The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has published data on candidates’ performance in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), revealing that this year’s results are the best recorded in the past 13 years.
This announcement follows earlier technical difficulties and widespread complaints from candidates, which prompted the Board to organise a resit examination. The results of the resit were released on Sunday.
According to JAMB’s data, 17,025 candidates—representing 0.88% of all those who sat the exam—scored 300 and above. This figure represents the highest percentage of top scorers since the introduction of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format in 2013.
In comparison, 8,401 candidates (0.46%) scored 300 and above in 2024, while in 2023, only 5,318 candidates (0.35%) reached that mark.
See data
Strong Performance Across Other Score Bands
The data further indicates that 2025 was also the best year in terms of candidates scoring 250 and above. A total of 117,373 candidates, or 6.08%, achieved this score bracket in 2025.
This contrasts with 77,070 candidates (4.18%) in 2024, and 56,736 candidates (3.73%) in 2023, who scored within the same range.
Additionally, 565,988 candidates, representing 29.3%, scored 200 and above in 2025. This is a marked increase compared to 439,961 candidates (24%) in 2024 and 355,689 candidates (23.36%) in 2023.
Allegations of Examination Malpractice
Despite these improvements, JAMB’s report emerged amidst allegations of malpractice during the 2025 UTME.
JAMB disclosed that it had detected sophisticated examination fraud techniques, including hacking of CBT centre networks. The Board alleged that some CBT and school proprietors, working in collusion with accredited centres, compromised local servers to control candidates’ computers remotely and submit answers on their behalf.
JAMB also highlighted the use of AI-enabled impersonation via photo blending technology to substitute candidates, as well as compromised registration processes involving mixed fingerprints from multiple individuals.
Moreover, the Board reported illegal extensions of Local Area Networks (LANs) to off-site locations for generating answers.
“Certain candidates were deliberately paired with mercenaries, including current undergraduates, who gained access to examination halls,” JAMB stated.
Withdrawal of Results
In response, JAMB has withdrawn the results of over 3,000 candidates found guilty of engaging in fraudulent activities.
The Board expressed concern over the troubling trend of “pairing candidates with professional mercenaries”—often after deliberate disruption of sitting arrangements—aimed at gaining unlawful access to exam halls.
JAMB further noted the involvement of undergraduate students in orchestrating these illicit schemes, complicating efforts to uphold exam integrity.
Technical Glitches Affect Nearly 380,000 Candidates
Following widespread criticism and concerns raised by candidates and parents nationwide regarding the integrity of the 2025 UTME, JAMB confirmed that a significant number of candidates were affected by errors traced to “an omission in the examination items” in specific operational zones.
The Lagos operational zone—which covers Lagos State and parts of the South-East—was most affected, with 379,997 candidates compromised due to technical glitches.
In particular, 65 centres in Lagos (206,610 candidates) and 92 centres in the Owerri zone (173,387 candidates) experienced failures leading to incomplete or malfunctioning exam content.
As a result, a resit examination was conducted for those impacted by the technical issues.
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