The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially released the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) resit, conducted for candidates affected by the technical glitch that marred the initial exam sessions.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Public Communication Advisor, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the board disclosed that out of the 336,845 candidates scheduled for the resit, 21,082 were absent. While the board did not provide specific reasons for the high number of no-shows, it announced that a mop-up exam would be organized for affected candidates, including those without documented justifications for their absence.
The statement also raised alarm over widespread examination malpractice involving some candidates, school owners, and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
According to JAMB, the resit results were endorsed during a recent meeting of Chief External Examiners chaired by Prof. Olufemi Peters. The validation was based on a psychometric review conducted by Prof. Boniface Nworgu.
In a major decision, JAMB approved the release of results for underage candidates who had earlier been withheld. However, the board clarified that while the results have been released as part of a healing process, the scores do not qualify the candidates for admission—unless there’s an ongoing legal case.
“These results are being released as part of the healing process,” the board said. “However, candidates had signed undertakings during registration that only those who meet the age and academic requirements would be eligible for special consideration.”
JAMB also granted a one-time waiver for candidates involved in online malpractice—particularly those caught soliciting help through WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
“This is not an endorsement of their actions,” the board stated. “It is a one-time gesture, and candidates are warned to steer clear of such fraudulent networks moving forward.”
The board announced severe sanctions for CBT centres found complicit in malpractice. Such centres will be blacklisted, and owners and staff found guilty of biometric and identity fraud will be prosecuted.
The statement also condemned the activities of unregulated tutorial centres which aid and abet exam malpractice, urging the government to introduce firm regulations in that sector.
Reaffirming its commitment to Computer-Based Testing (CBT), JAMB revealed plans to engage consultants to further enhance the registration and examination process.
Reacting to allegations that the technical glitch was targeted at certain regions, the board urged Nigerians to resist divisive tribal narratives.
“The malfunction was purely technical and not linked to any region or ethnic group. Attempts to politicize or ethnicize the situation are regrettable and dangerous,” the board noted.
JAMB also dismissed false claims of high scores among candidates affected by the cancelled sessions, confirming that 99% of such candidates scored below 200, with very few exceeding 217.
One such case involved a candidate, Olisa Gabriel Chukwuemeka, who falsely claimed to have scored 326. Investigations revealed that he had altered his 2024 result of 203, while he actually scored 180 in the 2025 exam. His result has since been withdrawn, and he reportedly deactivated his social media accounts after public backlash.
The original 2025 UTME results were released on May 9. However, on May 14, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres—mainly in Lagos and the South-East—were compromised due to a server update error that disrupted the upload of candidate responses during the first three days of the exam.
An emotional Oloyede apologized during a press conference and assured that all affected candidates would be given another opportunity to retake the examination.
