By Anthony Emeka Nwosu

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has ordered a resit of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for nearly 380,000 candidates following a critical technical error that affected several Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across the country. The rescheduled examination is set to commence on Friday, May 16, 2025.

In what is being described as one of the most extensive exam disruptions in recent years, a total of 157 CBT centres out of the 882 accredited nationwide have been identified as affected by an “unpatched error”—a term pointing to unresolved software glitches that compromised the integrity of the examination process in those centres.

According to verified data released by independent data analytics platform, Statisense, two zones were significantly impacted: Lagos Zone and Owerri Zone.

Breakdown of Affected Zones:

• Lagos Zone:
  • 65 centres were affected.
  • A total of 206,610 candidates will be retaking the exam.
• Owerri Zone:
  • 92 centres recorded the error.
  • 173,387 candidates from the zone will participate in the resit.
  • It is important to note that the Owerri Zone includes Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States.

In total, 379,997 candidates have been slated to retake the examination—a development that has sparked concerns from parents, candidates, and educational stakeholders across the country.

A senior official within the board who spoke under anonymity said the error was “systemic but localized,” and blamed poor maintenance and delayed software updates at some centres as the root cause of the disruption. “We had issued several directives for CBT centres to patch and update their systems, but unfortunately, some failed to comply, resulting in system crashes, submission failures, and candidate log-in issues,” the source explained.

The board has assured that it is working round the clock to ensure that the affected candidates face no further hitches during the rescheduled examinations. JAMB further confirmed that each affected candidate would be notified through official channels, including their registered emails, SMS, and personal JAMB profiles.

The UTME is a high-stakes examination required for admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions. Any disruption in its conduct not only affects the academic calendar but also places an emotional toll on candidates who have spent months preparing for the test.

Observers and educational advocates have called for a more robust monitoring system and stricter compliance audits for CBT centres. They warn that repeated technical failures could erode public trust in JAMB’s ability to deliver fair and credible assessments in the digital age.

As the resit begins this Friday, the spotlight is now on JAMB’s ability to redeem itself and restore confidence in its examination process.