JAMB: 467 of 40,247 underage candidates excelled in 2025 UTME

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that only 467 out of 40,247 underage candidates who took part in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) demonstrated exceptional academic ability.

The figure, which represents just 1.16 per cent of the underage candidates, was drawn from a total of 1,955,069 results processed so far, according to a statement released by JAMB on its official X handle, @JAMBHQ, on Monday.

JAMB noted that while the underage candidates were allowed to participate in the exam to “showcase their academic prowess,” their full assessment is ongoing.

“Their performance in the subsequent three stages is still pending,” the board stated, indicating that a multi-phase evaluation process is being applied to assess the giftedness of the young candidates.

Meanwhile, JAMB flagged several issues that marred the conduct of the 2025 UTME, including incidents of misconduct, technical difficulties, and absenteeism.

“A total of 97 candidates were involved in examination infractions,” the board revealed. “In addition, 2,157 others are currently undergoing investigations for suspected malpractices.”