According to official figures released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Monday, over 75 percent of the candidates who took the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scored below 200.
Out of a total of 1,955,059 registered candidates, only 420,415 achieved a score of 200 or higher, which is just over 21 percent of the total.
A significant 1,534,654 candidates, or 78.49 percent, scored less than 200 out of a possible 400 marks.
Furthermore, JAMB's data indicated that fewer than 1 percent of all candidates managed to score above 300.
The board announced that 40,247 candidates under the age of majority were given special permission to take part, under a policy designed to encourage exceptionally gifted individuals.
However, only 467 of them (approximately 1.16 per cent) achieved the board's standard for outstanding performance. JAMB stated that their progression would depend on further assessments across three additional stages.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) reported that 71,701 registered candidates were absent during the examination period.
Furthermore, 97 candidates were found to have engaged in various exam offences, and another 2,157 are currently being investigated for suspected malpractice.
The board mentioned that candidates who encountered biometric verification problems are having their cases reviewed. Those cleared will be given a new exam date.
JAMB also announced that the results for blind candidates and those in the JEOG (Joint Examination for the Gifted) category are still being processed.
A press briefing is scheduled for later this week to provide candidates with information on how to officially access their results.