The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has confirmed plans to release the results of 379,000 candidates who participated in the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) this Wednesday.
This decision follows the board’s earlier move to organize a supplementary examination after concerns surfaced about mass failure during the initial round of UTME tests.
Naturenex reports that JAMB acknowledged it encountered both technical and human-related challenges, particularly in Lagos and the South-East, which adversely affected the performance of many candidates.
Of the 1.9 million candidates who wrote this year’s UTME, over 1.5 million reportedly scored below 200 out of a possible 400 marks — a development that drew serious attention from education stakeholders nationwide.
Following this, the board launched an internal review into the matter and discovered several issues within its system, attributing them to technical malfunctions and human oversight.
In a show of transparency, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, took responsibility for the flaws, expressing his regret over the situation. During an emotional address, Oloyede became tearful as he admitted the board’s shortcomings and assured the public that corrective measures were being taken.
Confirming the development in a chat with Punch on Monday, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said, “The results of the candidates who took the rescheduled exam will be released on Wednesday.”
Earlier, Prof. Oloyede revealed that a total of 379,997 candidates in Lagos and the five states of the South-East were directly affected by the technical problems during the UTME. Breaking it down, 206,610 candidates from 65 centres in Lagos and another 173,387 candidates from 92 centres in the South-East were involved.
Describing the incident as a form of “sabotage,” Oloyede disclosed that affected candidates had started receiving text messages about the rescheduled exams since last Thursday.
A closer look at the statistics from the initial round of UTME results painted a concerning picture. Out of the 1,955,069 results processed, only 4,756 candidates (0.24%) managed to score 320 marks and above. Another 7,658 candidates (0.39%) scored between 300 and 319, bringing the total number of candidates who scored 300 and above to 12,414 (0.63%).
In the mid-range category, 73,441 candidates (3.76%) secured between 250 and 299 marks, while 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200 and 249. A significant number, 983,187 candidates (50.29%), earned between 160 and 199, a score bracket that remains the minimum requirement for several tertiary institutions.
The results also showed that 488,197 candidates (24.97%) fell between the 140 and 159 score range, while fewer candidates scored between 120–139, 100–119, and below 100 marks.
