2025 UTME: Candidates, Parents Demand Total Cancellation Of Results Amid JAMB Registrar’s Apology

A wave of reactions has trailed the release of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results, with many candidates and parents calling for a total cancellation of the entire examination following the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) admission of technical errors that marred the process.

At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, broke down in tears as he publicly apologised for what he described as “significant self-harm” to the integrity of the board’s examination system. He admitted that technical glitches had negatively affected candidates’ performance, particularly in Lagos and the South-East zones.

“206,610 candidates in 65 centres in Lagos and 173,387 in 92 centres across the South-East were directly impacted by the failure in our grading software,” he disclosed, attributing the problem to an oversight by one of JAMB’s service providers.

READ ALSO: JAMB Reschedules UTME For 379,997 Affected Candidates

The total number of affected candidates stood at 379,997 across the two zones.

JAMB’s Mea Culpa

According to Prof. Oloyede, the 2025 UTME was conducted using a newly upgraded system that transitioned from a form-based examination to a single item-based examination — the latter being the current international standard. However, the deployment of an updated grading software developed in-house failed during the actual examination.

Despite rigorous mock trials, oversight from software engineers and vice-chancellors, and other layers of quality assurance, the failure was not anticipated.

“This was not a case of sabotage, but a failure of oversight,” Oloyede said, adding that emergency meetings were convened with stakeholders to determine the scope of the problem and recommend remedial actions.

Affected candidates will be notified via SMS and are expected to reprint their examination slips for rescheduled exams set for Friday and Saturday.

Candidates React: “The System Failed Us”

For many students, the registrar’s apology did little to ease their frustration.

Aham Ijendu Chimereze, who wrote his exam at Unique Computer Institution in Owerri, expressed willingness to retake the exam if the glitches would not be repeated.

Another candidate, Uchenna Eme, lamented the confusion on his exam day: “I was scheduled to write at 6am, but it was moved to 4pm with a centre change on the same day.”

Jennifer, another affected candidate, said the electricity went off mid-exam and the network failed.

Hassan Abdul from Lokoja, Kogi State, and Mercy Obinna from Anambra State, were more emphatic — both called for the complete cancellation of the entire UTME, insisting that fairness could only be achieved if all candidates retake the exam.

But not all students agree. Shoneye Neemah Darasimi from Lagos expressed heartbreak over the potential reversal of her already-celebrated high score.

“I feel like the system failed us. That result was my ticket to starting my admission process early. Now everything feels uncertain,” she said.

Another candidate, Falola Deborah Oluwatunmise, said she encountered minor technical glitches but still managed to perform well. “If they ask me to rewrite the exam and I score lower, I’ll be really disappointed and angry,” she said.

Parents Voice Concern

Parents also shared their frustrations, with many highlighting the emotional and psychological toll on their children.

Sydney Obi acknowledged JAMB’s transparency but urged more rigorous testing of new technologies. “JAMB should have done proper auditing before releasing the results. This has caused so much emotional disturbance,” he said.

Funmilayo Lawrence praised the registrar for taking responsibility, saying: “If every officeholder can admit mistakes like this, our institutions would be stronger.”

Ogundipe Bosede Olaitan raised concerns over underage candidates whose results were not released. “We were not told during registration that underage candidates wouldn’t get results. This is unfair,” she lamented.

Experts Call for Reform

Education experts and academics have called for sweeping reforms to prevent a recurrence of such lapses.

Prof. Nasiru Idris of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, advocated for a real-time result system. “Once you delay result release, it creates room for manipulation. JAMB should adopt software that releases scores immediately,” he said.

Educational consultant Oyarekhua Happiness supported the reversal of wrongly awarded scores but warned against future inconsistencies. “You can’t tell students they passed when they didn’t. It’s unjust. But this kind of national embarrassment shouldn’t repeat itself,” she said.

Looking Ahead

Despite the setback, JAMB has reiterated its commitment to fairness and transparency. “It is our culture to admit error and take responsibility,” Prof. Oloyede affirmed.

As thousands of affected candidates prepare for a resit, questions remain over the integrity of the nation’s examination system and how to balance fairness with accountability in a digital testing era.