No evidence Nigeria's exam body has released 2026 tertiary matric results
IN SHORT: Several Facebook posts claim that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board reported that just 18% of more than 200,000 candidates who sat the 16 April 2026 university entrance exam scored 200 and above, and that this was the "worst set in recent history". There is no evidence for this.
Millions of Nigerian high school leavers sit the unified tertiary matriculation examination (UTME) each year. The exam is also referred to as "JAMB", after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which oversees admissions into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Candidates take a 400-point computer-based test, and must obtain a valid score to be considered for admission. A score of 200 is often considered competitive, while medicine, law, and pharmacy typically require higher marks.
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The 2026 UTME was scheduled to run from 16 to 25 April.
Against this backdrop, several Facebook posts in Nigeria claim that JAMB said that only about 200,000 students sat the UTME on 16 April, that just 18% scored 200 and above, and that this cohort was the worst in "recent history".
One version of the claim reads: "April 16th, 2026: Over 200k students wrote JAMB today. Only 18% scored 200+; the rest fell short. This is the worst JAMB set in recent history.' -- JAMB."
The same claim also appeared here and here. (Note: See other instances of the claim at the end of this report.)
But did JAMB say any of this? We checked.
No evidence of claim
Official data shows that more than 2.2 million candidates registered for the 2026 UTME, and JAMB has been releasing results in batches, including 632,788 candidates from 16 April alone. This figure contradicts those circulating online, as it is already far more than the number cited in the social media posts.
By 21 April, a total of 1,897,692 results had been published, with more still pending.
A search of JAMB's official website and X handle found no record of any performance breakdown, including the claimed 18% figure.
Instead, the board's updates during this period focused on the phased release of results, warnings about artificial intelligence-generated score fraud and information on withheld results for underage candidates.
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We also found no credible media sources reporting these statistics. Had JAMB released such figures, they would likely have been widely reported.
Until the board publishes its full statistical report, no reliable conclusions can be drawn about overall performance. Claims presenting a dismal performance or a complete national summary at this stage are unfounded.
The claim is unsupported.
The claim also appeared here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
