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“JAMB Is the Reason We Failed!” — UTME Candidates Share Frustrating Exam Experiences

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, or JAMB, results for this year have been released, and the reported widespread failure of 70% of its candidates, who scored below 200, has caused further agitation.

However, JAMB asserted that this year’s results were a reflection of students’ performance, while candidates and parents bemoaned the examination body’s responsibility for the widespread failure, citing issues with the computer, questions, time, and distances candidates were posted, among other grievances.

Grievances

Iwuoha Chiamaka is my name, and I applied to the UTME exam in 2025. Last year, I began preparing for this test. I read at night using a variety of study tools, including handouts, textbooks, notebooks, online resources, and old questions, and I went to tutorial lessons every day. In order to become acquainted with the format of the test, I also practiced CBT.

“I got to the center at about 6:15 am on Friday, April 25, the day of my exam. At 7:15 a.m., the thumbprinting procedure began, and by 8 a.m., we were sitting in the hallway. I prayed and rested even though the exam didn’t start right away. It started at approximately nine in the morning and went well for me.

However, other contenders’ time was impacted by technological problems. Thank goodness, my exam went smoothly.

“I felt good about my performance after the exam, but I was shocked to discover my score of 165. I’m certain that this score isn’t a true reflection of my skills because I received a 220 last year without even trying this hard to study.

“I did not expect to get 195 because I know I did well in most of my four subjects,” said another candidate, who went by the name Miriam. If there is anyone responsible for our failure, it is JAMB. This is because the start time that was indicated on our card was not adhered to.

Imagine arriving at your center at 5:30 a.m. for a 6:30 a.m. exam, only to have it begin at 8:10 a.m. Particularly for applicants like me who were writing the results for the first time, this made the day quite tense.

The suffering of parents

Mrs. Chigozie Onyearugbulam, a parent who is a member of the online education portal Concerned Parents & Educators Network, voiced her displeasure with the subpar performance of this year’s JAMB.

Some exceptionally talented individuals received relatively low scores due to system mistakes. My daughter is crying. Her responses were being altered by her system. Nothing was done, despite her complaints.

JAMB suggests corrective actions.

The body has alluded to a potential reconsideration of the procedure in response to the outcry from different sections regarding the conduct and eventual distribution of the 2025 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination results.

Due to the “significant volume of unusual complaints” that followed the release of the 2025 UTME results on Friday, the board announced in a statement by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, and as reported by various media outlets, that it was expediting its annual system review, a thorough post-mortem of the examination process.

“As we do with the exams themselves, we will promptly implement appropriate remedial measures if it is found that there were indeed glitches,” the board stated.

According to the board, the exceptional complaints from a few states within the federation are of special concern.

The statement claims that the board is carefully reviewing these complaints to find and address any possible technical problems.

JAMB said the yearly review comprises three essential stages: registration, examination, and result release.

It clarified that JAMB makes sure all candidates are permitted to take the test, and in the event that there are any technological difficulties, the board reschedules the test for the impacted candidates.