UTME: 41,027 underage candidates registered, 50 caught cheating

UTME: 41,027 underage candidates registered, 50 caught cheating

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on Friday, provided details of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) results it released earlier in the week. 

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, at a press conference in Abuja, noted that as earlier approved by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, opportunity was provided for underage candidates (16 years and below) to showcase their academic abilities.

He also recalled that at the last Policy Meeting of the admission policy of the Board, stakeholders resolved to implement the prescribed 16-year minimum age for entry into tertiary institutions, and to raise it to 18 years from 2025, but the Minister on resumption of office upheld the 16-year minimum entry age but halted the implementation of the proposal to raise it to 18 years from 2025.

“Even then, provision was made as obtainable in other climes for proven and exceptionally brilliant candidates. Unfortunately, some vested interests created a wrong impression that the Minister of Education has reviewed downward the prescribed 16-year minimum age for tertiary education.

“But in compliance with regulations regarding the stipulated minimum admissible age, the Board restricted registration to candidates who meet the stipulated criteria.

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“However, it provided an opportunity for acclaimed exceptionally-gifted candidates to demonstrate their abilities as long as their performance in UTME, SSCE, P-UTME and Gifted Candidate Test, attest to their being exceptionally gifted.

“While we recognise that maturity is often correlated with biological age, we also acknowledge that there are exceptional cases.

“A total of 41,027 candidates registered for the UTME under this underage category, with assurance that they would face the consequences if they do not meet the prescribed score.

“At the end, only 467 candidates attained the minimum UTME score for exceptional candidates, and they are being processed for the remaining 3 stages of assessment.

“Successful candidates have been notified of their achievement, while those who do not meet the threshold have also been notified of their inability to meet the prescribed minimum score.”

JAMB Registrar also stated that 50 of the underage candidates were implicated in a cheating syndicate scandal.

The results for underage candidates as released by JAMB indicated that 467 candidates (1.16%) scored 320 and above; 667 candidates (1.66%) scored 300 to 319; 4, 665 candidates (11.59%) scored 250 to 299; 12, 357 (30.69%) scored 200 to 249; 15, 978 candidates (39.69%) scored 160 to 199; 5,528 candidates (13.73%) scored 140 to 159; 5,541 candidates (1.38%) scored 120 to 139; 30 candidates (0.07%) scored 100 to 119; 15 candidates (0.04%) scored below 100.

 

UTME: 41,027 underage candidates registered, 50 caught cheating