JAMB to release rescheduled UTME results Wednesday after mass failure, systemic flaws

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will release the results of 379,000 candidates who sat for the rescheduled Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) between Friday and Monday, in a move aimed at restoring fairness after a wave of technical disruptions and mass failure marred the initial exam.

The results will be officially available to the public on Wednesday, according to JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who made the disclosure in a statement on Monday.

The rescheduled exams followed public outcry after JAMB’s April UTME results revealed alarming performance statistics, with over 75% of candidates scoring below 200 out of a total 400.

The scale of failure prompted widespread criticism from students, parents, educators, and other stakeholders, leading to an investigation by the board.

READ ALSO: Rewana Qe doubts NBS inflation data, warns of JAMB-style flaws

In a rare display of accountability, JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede publicly admitted to the board’s failures, blaming a mix of technical glitches and human error, particularly in Lagos and across South-East states.

At a press conference last week, Oloyede—visibly emotional—took full responsibility for the mishap and announced the resit as a corrective measure.

“The results of the candidates who took the rescheduled exam will be released on Wednesday,” said Benjamin.

Oloyede explained that 206,610 candidates across 65 centres in Lagos, and 173,387 candidates in 92 centres in the South-East, were directly impacted by the disruptions. He described some of the issues as deliberate acts of sabotage, now under active investigation by JAMB.

From the original pool of 1,955,069 candidates, only 0.63% scored 300 and above, while the largest cluster—50.29%—fell within the 160–199 range, just above the minimum admission cut-off for many institutions. Alarmingly, 0.10% of candidates scored below 100, a figure that raised questions about the credibility of the exam process.

The situation sparked national debate over the fairness and integrity of the UTME, a critical gateway into Nigeria’s tertiary education system. Following its internal investigation, JAMB acknowledged systemic lapses and vowed to take corrective action moving forward.

For many of the affected students and families, the rescheduled UTME served as a much-needed second chance, bringing hope for fairer outcomes in a system often criticized for its lack of transparency and flexibility.

As Nigerians await Wednesday’s release, attention remains focused on JAMB’s promised reforms and accountability measures to ensure that future assessments are both technically sound and equitably administered.