379,997 Candidates to Retake UTME as JAMB Admits Errors in 2025 Exam Results

JAMB Acknowledges Technical Glitches Affecting Exam Results

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially acknowledged errors in the results of candidates who participated in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). Following widespread complaints about unexpectedly low scores from high-performing candidates, the examination body initiated a comprehensive review process.

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Affected Candidates and Rescheduling Details

JAMB Registrar Professor Is-haq Oloyede announced that 379,997 candidates from 157 examination centers will need to retake their tests. The affected centers are located in Lagos and South-east states (Abia, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra). The rescheduled examinations will begin on Friday, 16 May.

Breakdown of affected candidates:

• Lagos Zone (65 centers): 206,610 candidates
• Owerri Zone (92 centers): 173,387 candidates

JAMB’s Apology and Communication Strategy

Professor Oloyede offered a public apology, stating: “I appeal to the candidates affected by our system’s error to accept this explanation as the truth of the matter. I apologise and take full responsibility.” The board will notify affected candidates through multiple channels including SMS, email, and phone calls.

Coordination with WAEC and Examination Logistics

JAMB has coordinated with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to accommodate candidates who might have scheduling conflicts with ongoing WASSCE exams. The registrar assured that most rescheduled UTME candidates would take their tests on Saturday to avoid clashes with WAEC’s Agricultural Science paper on Friday.

Technical Explanation of the Error

Professor Oloyede explained that JAMB divides Nigeria’s examination centers into two operational groups:

• KAD Vehicle: South-south and most northern states
• LAG Vehicle: South-west, South-east, and selected northern states

The error occurred in the LAG vehicle group where examination questions weren’t properly shuffled across different candidates’ papers. Despite fixing the issue after mock exams, technical personnel failed to update some delivery servers, resulting in the scoring anomalies.

Resolution and Future Measures

The board implemented corrections by April 30, ensuring smooth examinations thereafter. Professor Oloyede emphasized that ongoing reviews haven’t detected similar issues in other examination zones, but the verification process continues.

For more details, read the original article on The Syndicate.