JAMB Orders Retake for Nearly 380,000 Candidates Over 2025 UTME Glitches

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that 379,997 candidates will retake the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) due to technical issues that compromised their initial test sessions.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, JAMB Registrar Professor Ishaq Oloyede made this disclosure. He explained that the decision followed thorough investigations into reported malfunctions at several Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide. 

The board engaged experts from the Computer Professionals Association of Nigeria, vice-chancellors, and other assessment specialists to assess the situation.

The 2025 UTME, which began on April 25, saw over 2 million candidates register for the examination. 

However, shortly after the release of results on May 9, complaints emerged from various states about technical hitches that affected candidates’ performance. These issues were attributed to data mismatches and other irregularities at some CBT centres.

In response, JAMB has sanctioned 132 CBT centres that were found to have committed infractions during the registration and examination processes. 

The board stated that even minimal discrepancies could compromise the integrity of its examinations.

 Affected candidates have been invited to visit any JAMB centre to rectify the mismatched data. 

Also, registration officers at the implicated centres have been permanently barred from participating in JAMB-related activities.

Professor Oloyede clarified that the UTME is not internet-based, but rather operates on a local area network (LAN) within each Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre. 

This setup ensures that examinations are not affected by internet connectivity issues.

 He urged candidates to remain calm and assured them that the board is committed to maintaining the integrity of its examinations.

JAMB has not announced the new dates for the rescheduled examinations but has assured affected candidates that they will be notified promptly. 

The board also reiterated its commitment to ensuring a fair and credible examination process for all candidates.