Revealed: How server glitch sent 380,000 UTME candidates below 200 cut-off mark

• A caller study has shown however a bundle malfunction threw astir 380,000 UTME candidates beneath the 200 cut-off mark
• Reports accidental the glitch from 157 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres churned retired UTME scores, and sent astir candidates below 
• Findings showed that students faced powerfulness failures, strategy crashes, and login errors successful 2015, 2023, and 2025.

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported connected tech, energy, stocks, concern and the economy for implicit a decade.

A skipped bundle spot malfunction began what has been described arsenic JAMB’s worst outing successful decades.

Within a fewer days, results from 157 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, churned retired UTME scores, were released, distorting the results of 380,000 candidates, and sending astir of the 1.95 cardinal Nigerians beneath the 200-point threshold.

JAMB registrar, Ishag Oloyede, offered a tearful apology to students and ordered a retake. Credit: JAMB
Source: Original

Errors successful erstwhile JAMB outings

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) woke up to the realisation late, acknowledging mistake and ordering a retake.

The exam assemblage introduced CBT successful 2013, ending paper-based tests by 2015. The integer gyration successful JAMB was a motion of advancement and was hailed arsenic a game-changer.

However, experts accidental that aft a decennary of investment, the level inactive suffers from method errors.

Findings showed that students faced powerfulness failures, strategy crashes, and login errors successful 2015, 2023, and 2025.

JAMB orders a retake

The 2025 UTME exams were rated a disaster, with parents and guardians calling for the sack of JAMB Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, who tearfully apologised for the errors.

After the results were released, implicit 75% of the 1.9 cardinal candidates scored beneath 200 retired of the 40O benchmark for assemblage admissions.

TechCabal reports that the laminitis of Educare, Alex Onyia, wrote to JAMB connected behalf of the candidates connected May 9, 2025, erstwhile the results were released.

According to Onyia, principals from schools utilizing the Educare level saw discrepancies.

JAMB’s method squad discovers the loophole

According to the report, JAMB assembled a high-level method reappraisal connected May 14, led by Oloyede and attended by tech experts.

The reappraisal showed 3 large upgrades had been implemented successful 2025: a departure from count-based to source-based scoring, randomisation of questions and answers to forestall cheating, and caller show patches to trim lag. JAMB did not reportedly deploy these updates uniformly crossed each CBT centres.

JAMB has since acknowledged the glitch and publically apologised, announcing that each affected candidates would retake the exam astatine zero outgo betwixt May 16 and 19, 2025.

JAMB to connection caller tickets to candidates

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) coordinated the caller docket to debar an overlap with the ongoing Senior Secondary School Examination Council (WAEC).

CBT centres churned retired results from malfunctioning servers. Credit: JAMB
Source: Twitter

JAMB has said that students who faced trouble successful obtaining tickets volition person caller ones to guarantee that each affected students get their tickets.

“This mistake is straight from JAMB, truthful we are intimately monitoring to guarantee nary pupil is near out,” Benjamin said. However, helium ruled retired immoderate anticipation of remarking the reply scripts of the affected contempt admitting JAMB could inactive retrieve them.

JAMB speaks connected however candidates tin presumption scores

Legit.ng earlier reported that The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said the results of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) are initially 'checked done the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes 55019 oregon 66019'.

Legit.ng precocious reported that UTME 2025 candidates were awaiting the merchandise of their results.

In a station connected X, JAMB said UTME 2025 results would beryllium released connected its website later, aft candidates were capable to entree their results via the USSD codes.

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Source: Legit.ng