Over 1.5 Million Candidates Score Below 200 as Nearly 2 Million Candidates Write 2025 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released the official 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, which indicate that over 1.5 million candidates scored below 200 out of the 1.98 million candidates that registered and wrote the exam nationwide.

2025 UTME, conducted between April 19 and April 29, tested candidates between thousands of accredited centers on matters required for access to Nigerian tertiary institutions. Recurring problems relating to the quality of education as well as to the preparedness of students at secondary school level continue to overwhelm this year’s performance record.

According to JAMB, only 22% of the applicants scored a mark of 200 and more in a span of 400 marks, which is a rate deemed competitive to that of many of the nation’s tertiary schools. The board noted that despite being a minor percentage increase compared to 2024, on aggregate, candidates between 120 and 199 made up an abnormally large chunk.JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede stated in announcing the results that the board is intensifying its collaboration with key stakeholders in the education sector to address the root causes of underperformance.

“We recognize the issues which confront many of the candidates at preparation time, including gaps in basic education, availability of materials for learning, and stress related to exams. Our emphasis is that the UTME remains a valid test while advocating for better teaching and learning.”