Out of 40,247 underage candidates who took part in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), just 467—representing 1.16%—achieved scores that qualified them for the “exceptional ability” category, according to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.
This figure is part of the 1,955,069 results that have so far been processed for this year’s examination.
In a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, @JAMBHQ, on Monday, JAMB acknowledged that while underage candidates were allowed to demonstrate their academic potential, “their performance in the subsequent three stages is still pending,” suggesting that the final assessment of these candidates is ongoing.
JAMB also highlighted incidents of exam infractions and absenteeism.
“A total of 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions,” the Board stated, adding that “2,157 others are currently undergoing investigations for suspected malpractices.”
The Board also reported a significant number of absentees:
“71,701 candidates were absent,” it noted, though no reasons were provided for their nonappearance.
JAMB further addressed technical issues relating to biometric verification, which has been a recurring challenge in previous UTME cycles.
“Candidates facing biometric challenges are under investigation, and those who are cleared will be rescheduled for examination at designated centres,” the Board said.
Additionally, some results are still being processed.
“A few of the results, including those of blind candidates and others in the JEOG group, are still being processed,” the update read.
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JAMB announced that a press conference has been scheduled to offer more detailed updates. During this event, individual results will be announced, and result-checking portals will be made accessible to all candidates.
Breakdown of 2025 UTME Performance
According to the latest data from JAMB, the majority of candidates scored below 200. Only 0.63% scored 300 and above.
Out of the 1,955,069 candidates:
- 4,756 (0.24%) scored 320 and above
- 7,658 (0.39%) scored between 300–319
- A total of 12,414 candidates (0.63%) scored 300 and above
In the 250–299 range, there were 73,441 candidates (3.76%), while 334,560 candidates (17.11%) scored between 200–249.
The bulk of the results fell within the mid-to-low performance bands:
- 983,187 (50.29%) scored between 160–199
- 488,197 (24.97%) scored between 140–159
- 57,419 (2.94%) scored between 120–139
- 3,820 (0.20%) scored between 100–119
- 2,031 (0.10%) scored below 100
Key Insights:
- More than 75% of candidates scored below 200—a threshold for many competitive programs.
- Only a small fraction (0.63%) scored 300 and above.
- Over half (50.29%) scored between 160 and 199, indicating a concentration around average performance levels.
