Mass failure in 2025 UTME: FOSAD demands answers from JAMB

The 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has been marred by controversy, with over 1.5 million out of 1.9 million candidates scoring below 200 marks, sparking nationwide concern and accusations of systemic failure.

Forum of South-East Academic Doctors (FOSAD) has weighed in on the debate, demanding that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) provide answers and take responsibility for the examination process.

In a statement jointly signed by its President, Dr. Stephen Nwala, and Secretary General, Dr. Uzor Ngoladi, and made available to the press, the academic body expressed deep concern over the withholding of over 39,000 candidates’ results and a noticeable drop in overall performance, especially across several regions of the country.

While acknowledging JAMB’s efforts to uphold the integrity of the examination process, FOSAD said the scale of the withheld results and the volume of complaints from candidates and their families demand a comprehensive and transparent review.

“We are alarmed by the high number of withheld results and reports of significant performance decline. These developments raise serious concerns that go beyond routine examination challenges,” the statement read.

FOSAD highlighted a range of technical issues encountered by candidates at various Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres. According to the Forum, these included frequent system crashes, login difficulties, network disruptions, and premature termination of exams—all of which reportedly impeded candidates’ ability to complete their papers effectively.

“In many cases, these technical malfunctions made it impossible for candidates to fully demonstrate their academic potential, effectively disenfranchising thousands,” the Forum stated.

“The future of our youths must not be compromised by administrative or infrastructural failings.”

To address the situation, FOSAD has outlined a set of five urgent recommendations for JAMB and they are; an independent audit of the mass failure and technical failures reported in specific centres; publication of centre-by-centre performance data to identify unusual patterns that may point to systemic problems; introduction of redress mechanisms, including makeup examinations or result reviews for candidates affected by verified disruptions.

Also investment in improved CBT infrastructure to reduce the risk of technical breakdowns during future exams; inclusive stakeholder engagement involving civil society groups, education experts, parent-teacher associations, and professional bodies to review and strengthen the examination system.

FOSAD emphasized that while examination integrity is critical, it must not be upheld at the expense of fairness and justice.

The Forum urged JAMB to act swiftly to restore public confidence and safeguard the educational aspirations of millions of Nigerian youths.

“National examinations must be credible and reliable—but also fair. We must not allow the system to punish young people for failures they did not cause,” the statement concluded.

JAMB had earlier announced the release of the 2025 UTME results on Friday, noting that 39,834 results were withheld over suspected malpractice.

The examination body has also acknowledged receiving complaints from candidates, promising to investigate genuine cases.