UTME 2026 Candidate Heartbroken Over Low Score, Nursing Dream Deferred
A science student has publicly expressed her profound disappointment and emotional distress after receiving what she describes as an unexpectedly low score in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), casting serious doubt on her long-held ambition to pursue a university education in nursing. Victor Blessing Eboselumen, who sat for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, broke down in a video shared on TikTok, revealing that her aggregate score of 184 has likely derailed her academic plans.
Student Shares UTME Result and Emotional Reaction
In a video posted to her TikTok account on April 20, 2026, Victor Blessing displayed her UTME result, which she accessed via SMS shortly after JAMB announced the release of the first set of results. With visible distress, she admitted that the outcome was not what she had fervently prayed for, stating, "Not the result I prayed for though, but it is what it is. Life goes on." Her scores were detailed as 52 out of 100 in English language, 44 in physics, 50 in biology, and 38 in chemistry, culminating in the total of 184.
Nursing Aspiration Now on Hold Due to Academic Performance
In a subsequent video, the candidate disclosed that she had intended to study nursing at the university level, but this plan has been sadly placed on hold due to her academic performance. She expressed her frustration and sense of failure, questioning, "Which school will take 184 for nursing? This pain hits differently. I failed myself, my family and everyone who is supporting. I did my best, and God left the rest." Her emotional outpouring highlights the high stakes and personal investment many students have in the UTME results.
Candidate Insists Performance Was Better Than Result Indicates
Adding to her dismay, Victor Blessing took to the comments section of her video to assert that the result did not reflect her actual performance during the examination. She explained that she had declined an admission offer from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) the previous year because she was given a course unrelated to medicine, believing she could score higher in 2026 to secure her desired medical-related course. She stated, "I know what I wrote on the 18th; the majority of the past questions I mastered came out. And I was so happy that I did well, not for me to see my result and I saw 184 I never expected that." This insistence on a discrepancy between her effort and the outcome underscores the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding standardized testing.
JAMB Releases 2026 UTME Results with Caution Against Falsification
Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has officially released the 2026 UTME results. According to Fabian Benjamin, the spokesperson for JAMB, candidates can check their results by sending UTMERESULT via SMS to 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number (SIM) registered during the examination process. At this initial stage, candidates are only able to view their results; printing is not yet available. Benjamin issued a strong warning against any manipulation of the SMS received from the official platform, emphasizing that fabricating or altering scores to mislead others, including parents, constitutes a serious criminal offence. The Board is treating such misconduct with utmost gravity, and currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using artificial intelligence and other electronic means.
Background on the Reporting and Broader Context
This incident is part of a broader narrative surrounding the 2026 UTME, where several students have shared their results and reactions online, often expressing similar disappointments or surprises. The story was reported by Oluwadara Adebisi, a Human Interest Editor with over seven years of experience in journalism, who highlighted the human interest angle of academic struggles and aspirations. As students nationwide grapple with their scores, the release of results continues to be a pivotal moment in the Nigerian educational landscape, influencing university admissions and future career paths for thousands of candidates.
