“I Was Expecting 300+”: UTME Candidate Who Scored 277 Speaks After Dropping to 257 (Exclusive Interview)
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| Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) logo |
By Victor Olubiye
When Deborah saw her 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) result—257—she was not only disappointed; she was confused.
For a candidate who had previously scored 277 and spent months preparing even more intensely for this year’s examination, the figure on the screen did not reflect her expectations, effort, or confidence after the test.
“I was surprised… how can I have 257 as my aggregate?” she said. “I was really expecting something above 300.”
Deborah, who is aspiring to study Medicine and Surgery, says her preparation this year was driven by a clear goal: securing a competitive score that would increase her chances of admission into a Nigerian university and potentially qualify her for scholarship opportunities.
A Second Attempt, Higher Expectations
Unlike her first attempt at the UTME, Deborah approached the 2026 examination with what she describes as “more structure, discipline, and seriousness.”
Her performance in the previous year—277—had already placed her in a relatively strong position. But instead of resting on that result, she returned to preparation with higher expectations.
“This year, I worked harder because I knew what I wanted. I wasn’t playing with my studies at all,” she said.
According to her tutor, Olubiye Victor Segun, who has prepared students for external examinations for over six years, Deborah’s academic effort this year was significantly more intense.
“Her preparation this time was deeper and more structured compared to last year,” he said. “We were targeting 300 and above based on her performance in mock tests and continuous assessments.”
Long Study Hours and Strict Discipline
Deborah’s preparation routine was demanding and highly regimented. She explained that she often studied for several hours at night, sometimes extending into the early hours of the morning.
“There were nights I read from 8 p.m. to midnight, and sometimes up to 1 a.m.,” she said. “Then I still woke up early to continue.”
In a bid to eliminate distractions, her tutor also imposed strict digital restrictions during her preparation period.
“My tutor locked my social media accounts and restricted games,” she explained. “He said if they were not controlled, we might not achieve the 300+ we were aiming for.”
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Blending Traditional Study with Digital Learning
Beyond classroom sessions and private tutoring, Deborah also incorporated digital learning tools into her preparation.
She made use of mobile educational applications such as My School App, participated in online classes, and consistently engaged in mock examinations designed to simulate UTME conditions.
Her performance in these mock tests showed marked improvement. While she previously struggled to exceed 200 in practice tests, she says she eventually reached as high as 266.
“She didn’t just take the tests,” her tutor noted. “She reviewed every correction, researched her mistakes, and could explain concepts back confidently.”
The Exam and the Expectations
Deborah says she left the examination hall confident about her performance.
“Immediately I finished the exam, I went through the questions I was sure of,” she recalled. “Based on my calculation, I believed I had secured above 300.”
Her confidence was shared by her tutor and family, who had followed her preparation journey closely.
“We were all expecting something higher than her previous score,” her tutor admitted.
However, when the official results were released by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Deborah was confronted with a different outcome: 257.
“Chemistry Was the Most Surprising”
Among the subjects, Deborah says Chemistry stood out as the most unexpected.
“The one that is totally wrong is Chemistry,” she said. “I was sure of about 90 percent of my answers, yet I saw 67.”
While she expressed disbelief, she stopped short of making any direct accusations regarding the examination or marking process.
“I really don’t understand it,” she added. “I was confident about my answers.”
Aiming for Medicine and Surgery
Deborah’s academic ambition is clear: she hopes to study Medicine and Surgery, one of the most competitive courses in Nigerian universities.
According to her, achieving a score above 300 would have significantly improved her chances of gaining admission into her preferred institution, as well as qualifying for possible sponsorship opportunities.
“That was my target,” she said. “Medicine and Surgery requires a very high score. I was aiming for 300+ to make my admission stronger and possibly qualify for scholarships.”
With her current score, she says she is now re-evaluating her options.
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| Official UTME result slip released by JAMB showing Deborah’s 2026 score of 257 after a more intensive preparation period |
Broader Conversations on Expectations and Outcomes
Deborah’s experience reflects a recurring reality among UTME candidates—particularly those who retake the examination with improved preparation and higher expectations.
While score fluctuations are not uncommon in standardized testing, such cases often raise emotional and psychological concerns for candidates who feel their efforts are not reflected in their results.
Her tutor, however, urged caution in interpretation.
“From an academic perspective, performance can vary due to many factors on examination day,” he said. “But based on her preparation, she performed beyond average expectations in training.”
The Pressure Behind Repeat Attempts
For candidates like Deborah, repeating UTME is not just an academic exercise—it is an emotional burden.
Having once scored 277, she returned to the examination not as a beginner, but as someone attempting to surpass her own benchmark.
Education experts note that such situations often create heightened pressure, where expectations can sometimes become as challenging as the examination itself.
Between Effort and Outcome
For Deborah, the gap between preparation and result remains difficult to reconcile.
“I know what I put into my studies,” she said quietly. “That is why I still feel the result does not reflect my performance.”
As thousands of candidates continue to navigate the UTME process each year under the supervision of JAMB, stories like hers continue to highlight the emotional weight behind examination scores—and the deeply personal journeys behind every number.
For Deborah, the journey toward Medicine and Surgery is not yet over. But the 257 beside her name has left her with more questions than answers.
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