JAMB sets up review panel over low UTME scores

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially constituted a special review panel to evaluate the conduct and outcome of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), following growing public concern over the unusually poor performance recorded this year.

This was made public via social media after one of the invitees, Alex Onyia, CEO of Educare, announced his selection on X (formerly Twitter), along with a copy of the formal invitation from JAMB.

“I received a formal invitation from JAMB for us to transparently conduct a thorough review of the 2025 JAMB exam,” Onyia wrote. “The review date is next tomorrow (Thursday). After our review, I will publicly share my findings. If you have been troubled, keep calm… We will not fail you!”

According to the letter signed by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, the review panel was established to “appraise the conduct of the examination, identify any challenges, and proffer recommendations to prevent future occurrences.”

The panel, scheduled to convene on Thursday, May 15, 2025, will review the release process and general administration of the 2025 UTME, which has come under fire after thousands of candidates scored far below expectations despite extensive preparation.

JAMB emphasized that Onyia’s participation—along with that of other panel members—will be without cost to the Board.

Those expected to sit on the panel include representatives from:

All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS)

National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS)

Chief External Examiners (CEEs)

Computer Professionals of Nigeria (CPN)

Educational Assessment & Research Network

Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities

Rectors of Polytechnics

Provosts of Colleges of Education

And JAMB’s internal support staff

The Board reiterated its commitment to transparency and credibility in the examination process, urging Nigerians to remain calm and trust the outcome of the independent review.

The review process is expected to bring clarity and possibly reforms as JAMB seeks to restore public confidence after the 2025 UTME stirred intense backlash from students, parents, and educators across the country.