Over 1M candidates scored below 180 as JAMB releases 2019 UTME statistics 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has released the results of 1,792,719 candidates out of the 1,886,508 who sat for the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in April.

Also, JAMB delisted 116 centres over “registration-related misconduct”.

The results of 34,120 candidates were withheld including those of 15,145 candidates being clarified as ‘identical twins and siblings.’ About 59,667 candidates failed to turn up for the exam.

Announcing the results in Abuja on Saturday, JAMB Registrar, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, said Franklin Ekele, 15, from Imo State, emerged as the highest performer with 347 marks, followed by Abia State’s Emmanuel Chidiebube, 16, who scored 346, and Osun State’s Isaac Olamilekan, with 345 score.

However, Oloyede said Ekele and Chidiebube might not gain admission to their school of choice, University of Lagos, because they were underage.

Giving a breakdown of the results, the JAMB chief said 2,906 candidates scored over 300 as against 4,683 in 2018. According to him, 57,579 candidates scored between 250 and 299 as against 64,120 last year.

He said 366,757 candidates scored between 200 and 249, saying it was an improvement on the 2018 results.

The registrar also said 361,718 candidates scored between 180 and 199 as against 325,152 in 2018, while 494,484 scored between 160 and 179 as against 455,898 last year.

Oloyede said, “A total of 410,844 candidates scored between 140 and 159 as against 346,825 recorded in 2018 while also 99,463 scored between 100 and 139 as against 64,712 in 2018.”

He said the body had blacklisted 116 exam centres including a Computer-based Test centre in Akokwe, Delta State, after the operators allegedly bribed exam officers with N1.7m.

The ex-University of Ilorin vice-chancellor said, “We have identified the candidates involved and their results are withheld. While not being aware that JAMB was monitoring, the two centres in Akokwe in Ideato examination town paid N1,760,000.00 to compromise the workers on duty. The workers concerned are being investigated to determine their culpability.

“We have recovered the payment voucher and the workers being investigated claimed that they received the bribe because their lives were in danger.”

He said the exam recorded multiple registrations, pointing out that a candidate, for instance, registered 23 times for the examination.

The registration listed exam centres involved in malpractices to include Heritage and Infinity as well as Okwyzil Computer Institute Comprehensive Secondary School in Abia, where the exam was cancelled and rescheduled.

Also in this category is Clems Business System Ltd, Umuahia, Abia State and the CBT centres of Ekiti State College of Education, Ikere, and St. Silas Anglican Secondary School, Omuo-Ekiti, cited for collusion