The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) will hold an extra mop-up exam for students who missed the 2025 UTME. This was announced by JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
He said this is meant to help the 5.6% of candidates who didn’t take the exam on April 24. “Even those who were simply absent will be given another chance,” Oloyede explained. “It’s like when students miss a test in class—we let them make it up.”
JAMB usually conducts one mop-up exam, but this year’s unique challenges led to a second round. It’s aimed at fairness, not making exceptions, Oloyede added.
JAMB released the 2025 UTME results on May 5. The numbers show that 71,701 candidates missed the exam. Out of more than 1.95 million students who sat for the test, only 21.5% scored above 200.
Just 4,756 students scored 320 and above. Around 334,560 scored between 200 and 249. A large chunk—over 1.4 million—scored below 200.
Prof. Oloyede reminded the public that the UTME is not an intelligence test. “It’s a placement exam. It helps schools rank candidates,” he said. He noted that post-UTME tests and school grades also matter when schools choose who gets in.
Following the release of the results, some people blamed poor performance on administrative errors or bias. Oloyede rejected those claims.
“I’ve taken responsibility, not because I don’t know my job,” he said. “It’s wrong to turn this into a conspiracy. Things went wrong, but that’s not unusual.”
He urged Nigerians not to bring ethnic or political narratives into the education system. Despite the hiccups, he praised students and staff for their resilience. Many candidates continued their exams despite disruptions which he called inspiring.
Details of the mop-up exam date are expected soon. For now, students who missed the UTME can prepare for another shot.
