The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has produced the best candidate performance in 12 years, according to data released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Sunday.
Despite early concerns over technical hitches, including attempts to hack JAMB’s website and exam result portals, the Board confirmed that the number of high-scoring candidates reached record-breaking levels since the adoption of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) format in 2013.
A total of 17,025 candidates—representing 0.88 per cent of the 1,931,467 who sat for the exam—scored 300 and above, marking the highest proportion of top scorers in over a decade. This is nearly double the 8,401 candidates (0.46 per cent) who reached the same benchmark in 2024, and far exceeds 2023’s 5,318 (0.35 per cent) and 2022’s 5,833 (0.34 per cent).
“This year’s results reflect a significant improvement in overall candidate performance, despite technical and logistical challenges,” said Dr. Fabian Benjamin, Public Communication Advisor to JAMB.
In terms of score brackets, 117,373 candidates (6.08 per cent) scored 250 and above—an increase from 77,070 (4.18 per cent) in 2024 and 56,736 (3.73 per cent) in 2023. Meanwhile, 565,988 candidates (29.3 per cent) scored 200 and above, compared to 439,961 (24 per cent) in 2024 and 355,689 (23.36 per cent) in 2023.
However, the majority—1,365,479 candidates, or 70.7 per cent—still scored below 200, though this figure indicates a marginal improvement from 76 per cent in 2024 and 76.64 per cent in 2023.
All 1,931,467 registered candidates received their results in full this year, a first in recent UTME history, surpassing the 1,842,364 who had their results released in 2024.
Comparatively, performance trends have been inconsistent over the years. In 2021, only 168,650 (13 per cent) scored 200 and above, while 2016 saw a higher 34 per cent (568,847 candidates) cross that threshold.
The 2025 results come amid growing calls from lawmakers—particularly the Southeast Reps Caucus—for further scrutiny or even cancellation of the exam, citing alleged irregularities.
Nevertheless, JAMB maintains that the improved performance is the result of refined exam management processes, increased digital monitoring, and broader access to preparatory materials.
The Board said it would continue reviewing its systems and processes to further enhance credibility and support student excellence in subsequent examinations.
