Why we have UTME Mass Failure – Minister explains
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has asserted that the mass failure recorded in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a reflection of the government’s anti-malpractice measures, which are yielding results, especially within the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board system.
All Facts Newspaper reports that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) officially released a comprehensive statistical report of the 2025 UTME results on Monday, revealing that more than 1.5 million candidates scored below the 200-mark threshold widely used by Nigerian universities for admission consideration.
According to the breakdown of the 1,955,069 results processed and released on Monday, only 420,415 candidates scored above the 200 threshold.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Alausa said the drop in performance reflects a significant decline in examination malpractice due to JAMB’s tightened security protocols.
He said, “That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way. JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”
Alausa also announced that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council will begin transitioning to computer-based testing by November 2025, starting with objective papers.
According to him, exam malpractice demoralises diligent students, and the ministry remains committed to using technology-driven solutions to restore credibility in Nigeria’s examination and admissions processes.
He added, “The full CBT model, including essay sections, will be adopted by the May/June 2026 examination cycle.
“We have to use technology to fight this fraud. There are so many ‘miracle centres’, and that is simply unacceptable. People cheat during WAEC and NECO exams and then face JAMB, where cheating is nearly impossible. That’s the disparity we’re seeing now. It’s sad.
“The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones. If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard? No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop.”
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