This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said of the 336,845 who were eventually scheduled, 21,082 were absent.
He said in spite of the ongoing inquiries, performance analysis remained consistent (between 11% in 2013 and 34% in 2016).
Benjamin said while the situation was unfortunate, he said it had also revealed numerous alarming practices perpetrated by candidates and certain Proprietors of Schools and Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres.
This , he said, had exacerbated examination irregularities.
“It would be recalled that after the conduct of the resit examination, a meeting of the Board’s Chief External Examiners (CEEs) in all states of the federation was held to consider the results.
” In attendance at the meeting were a few notables,” he said.
Benjamin said that extensive deliberations were made after consideration of the report of the resit examination.
He said the constitution of a sub-committee chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University, Prof. Olufemi Peters, who is also the CEE, FCT, was constituted to confirm that the results were in order.
He added that before the release of the resit examination, the CEEs reviewed the exercise and directed that an expert in psychometrics, Prof. Boniface Nworgu, be invited to analyse and endorse the results for subsequent release.
On the release of results of all under-aged candidates, he said the meeting resolved that the withheld results of the under-aged candidates (except where litigation is involved) who performed below the established standards be released.
According to him, the result does not, however, qualify them for admission.
He said the candidates had previously signed an undertaking during the registration process acknowledging that only those who meet the prescribed standards would be considered for under-aged special admission.
He said candidates involved in “WhatsApp Runs” and other misdemeanours were found to have been involved in illicit solicitation of assistance.
“The meeting emphasised that its decision is not an endorsement of candidates’ unacceptable acts, rather a once and for all waiver.
“Candidates were thus advised to refrain from joining questionable “WhatsApp and other anti-social groups.”
While noting the over 93 per cent attendance at the resit examination, he said the meeting offered all the candidates absent an opportunity to participate during the normal annual mop-up examination.
According to him, this waiver is also extended to the candidates who for whatever reason must have missed the initial main UTME.
He explained that the meeting condemned the involvement of some CBT centres in perpetrating serious registration and examination malpractices and resolved that all the implicated CBT centres should be blacklisted while complicit owners should be prosecuted.
” In addition, the identified individuals who directly registered the candidates with modified pictures and biometrics be apprehended and prosecuted.
“The meeting observed with great concern the role of some tutorial centres in the perpetration of examination malpractices.
“It urged governments at all levels to take appropriate steps in ensuring that operators of tutorial centres are properly regulated, licensed and constantly monitored.
“This is to curtail the initiation of candidates into the path of dishonesty,” he added.
On the tribal/sectional narrative of the examination, he said the meeting expressed with regret the attempts by some groups to exploit the unfortunate incident to disseminate tribal and sectional narratives.
Benjamin maintained that the unfortunate incident was not targeted at any section of the country, neither was it caused by any particular section of the country.
He emphasised that such narratives risk exacerbating existing divisions within society and even the JAMB workforce.
Results of UTME from the past twelve years as shown in the table below:
COMPARISON OF UTME RESULTS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF CBT IN 2013-2025 (NAN)
