JAMB announces date for release of 379,000 results of rescheduled candidates

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) on Wednesday, May 22.

The resit was conducted between Friday and Monday after nationwide outrage over massive failures in the initial UTME, which saw over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates score below 200 out of a possible 400.

JAMB admitted to technical glitches and human errors, especially in Lagos and the South-East, which negatively impacted thousands of students. A total of 206,000 candidates were affected in Lagos, while approximately 173,000 were affected in the South-East. The board has since described the issue as an act of “sabotage.”

In a rare emotional moment, JAMB Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede broke down in tears while addressing the public and admitting fault in the administration of the 2025 UTME. He subsequently ordered a resit for all affected candidates, who were notified via SMS.

Confirming the release date of the rescheduled results, JAMB spokesperson Dr. Fabian Benjamin said candidates should expect to access their scores starting Wednesday.

According to JAMB’s earlier analysis of the original exam, only 0.24% of candidates scored 320 and above, while 0.39% scored between 300 and 319. Another 0.63% managed scores above 300. Approximately 17% of candidates scored between 200 and 249, while over 50% fell within the 160–199 range—barely meeting university entry requirements. About 25% scored between 140 and 159, with the remaining candidates scoring below that threshold.

Meanwhile, the South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives has condemned the conduct of the examination, describing it as a “catastrophic institutional failure.” The lawmakers are now demanding the resignation of Prof. Oloyede and the suspension of JAMB officials in charge of digital and logistics operations.

They criticized JAMB for its poor communication and the short notice given to students for the rescheduled exams, many of whom were also sitting for their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) at the same time.

In their statement, the lawmakers called for the immediate cancellation of the 2025 UTME and the conduct of a fresh exam after the conclusion of WAEC and NECO. They argued that the chaos violated the constitutional rights of students—particularly in the South-East—by denying them equal educational opportunities.

“Apologies are not enough,” the lawmakers said. “There must be accountability. The education of our children is too important to be handled this carelessly.”