After weeks of tension, confusion, and countless social media cries, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has officially confirmed that 379,997 candidates will retake the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The rescheduled exams will begin on Thursday, May 16, across six states — Lagos, Imo, Anambra, Oyo, Abia, and Ebonyi — which were identified as locations where technical issues disrupted the original exam process.
What Happened?
For many candidates, this year’s UTME was nothing short of chaos. From login failures to blank screens and system freezes, students across several states found themselves unable to complete their exams — and in some cases, not even begin them.
Online, complaints flooded platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Parents, students, and even education advocates demanded accountability. Some even threatened legal action.
JAMB initially stated that the complaints were “limited,” but after deeper review and the hiring of independent IT professionals and assessment experts, the board acknowledged that there were “technical glitches” significant enough to warrant a retake.
Who Will Resit the Exam?
According to JAMB’s latest announcement, the 379,997 affected candidates have already been identified and will be contacted directly. These students will receive fresh exam schedules via SMS and email, starting this week.
Affected CBT centres in the six states have also been blacklisted or flagged for further investigation.
What JAMB Said
In its statement, JAMB reaffirmed its commitment to fairness, saying:
“It has been established that a technical glitch affected 157 centres out of the 887 centres in the 2025 UTME. This was basically responsible for the general low performance of the candidates scheduled to sit the examination in those centres.”
“As such, all the affected candidates will be contacted to reprint their examination slips towards retaking their examinations starting from 16th May, 2025.”
The board also reiterated that no additional fees will be required for the rescheduled exams.
Why This Matters
This resit decision isn’t just about marks and grades — it’s about fairness, mental health, and restoring public trust in Nigeria’s education systems. For many students, the UTME isn’t just another test. It’s a gateway to opportunity. And when that gateway is flawed, it affects lives.
So yes, this retake matters — not just for the 379,997 students, but for every Nigerian who believes exams should be fair, credible, and truly digital.
