By Charles Maduka
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, says the high failure rate in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) shows that the government’s fight against exam malpractice is working, especially in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) system.
This follows the release of UTME results where only about 420,000 out of 1,955,069 candidates scored above 200, meaning over 78 percent did not meet the benchmark.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, the minister said the poor results reflect JAMB’s efforts to reduce cheating by improving security during the exams.
“That’s a big concern, and it’s a reflection of exams being done the proper way,” he said. “JAMB conducts its exam using a computer-based testing system. They’ve implemented strong security measures, and as a result, fraud or cheating has been completely eliminated. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same for WAEC and NECO.”
Dr. Alausa said the ministry had reviewed all national exam systems and is introducing new reforms. He announced that WAEC and NECO will begin using computer-based testing (CBT) from November 2025, starting with objective questions.
The full CBT format, including essay writing, will begin with the May/June 2026 exams.
“We have to use technology to fight this fraud,” he said. “There are so many ‘miracle centres’, and that is simply unacceptable. People cheat during WAEC and NECO exams and then face JAMB, where cheating is nearly impossible. That’s the disparity we’re seeing now. It’s sad.”
The minister also said cheating discourages hardworking students from putting in their best.
“The worst part of cheating is that it disincentivises the hard-working ones,” Alausa said. “If I’m preparing for WAEC or NECO and I know some classmates already have access to the questions, do you think I’ll still study hard? No, I’ll be tempted to join them. That’s how good students are corrupted, and that’s exactly what we must stop.”
He added that the ministry will continue using technology to restore fairness and trust in Nigeria’s exam and admission processes.
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