The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering plans to incorporate life skills and critical thinking into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of efforts to assess candidates beyond their knowledge of academic subjects.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Wednesday during an appearance on the Good Morning Nigeria programme on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).
He explained that the proposed reform would make the examination more responsive to the skills students need to succeed in higher education.
According to Aina, a committee comprising education stakeholders and experts has been established to develop recommendations on how the additional competencies could be assessed.
The committee is expected to consider whether life skills and critical thinking should be introduced as separate components or integrated into existing UTME subjects.
JAMB Explains How UTME Scores Should Be Interpreted
Aina also clarified that a candidate’s UTME score should not be viewed as an absolute measure of their knowledge, but rather in the context of how they perform compared with other candidates in the same examination cycle.
He said the minimum entry score and candidates’ relative performance depended partly on the overall results recorded by their cohort.
The registrar noted that when a large proportion of candidates achieved high scores, a result that might otherwise appear strong could rank lower in comparison.
His comments highlighted the importance of understanding UTME scores as part of a competitive admission process rather than as a complete measure of a candidate’s academic ability.
Board Reviews Examination Framework
The proposed inclusion of life skills and critical thinking forms part of a broader review of the UTME assessment framework.
If adopted, the changes could expand the range of competencies considered during the examination. However, JAMB has not yet announced a final implementation date or confirmed the precise format the proposed assessment would take.
Candidates should therefore continue preparing according to the existing examination requirements until the board releases official guidelines on any approved changes.
JAMB Introduces Changes to Personal Information Updates
Beyond the proposed examination reforms, Aina disclosed that JAMB had introduced measures to address difficulties candidates face when updating their personal information.
He said candidates who had lost access to their registered telephone numbers or email addresses could now seek to update them through the board’s prescribed procedures.
The registrar also announced a National Identification Number (NIN) alignment process that enables candidates to update their details with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and subsequently align their information with their JAMB profiles.
According to Aina, the process is intended to help candidates whose admission plans have been affected by inconsistencies in their personal records, including details such as names and dates of birth.
He said the changes were introduced to resolve problems that had previously prevented some candidates from progressing with their educational plans despite completing their studies.
Candidates Urged to Follow Official Updates
The JAMB registrar advised candidates to consult the board’s official website and social media platforms for detailed information about the personal-data update procedures and other services.
He also urged candidates to await official announcements before making assumptions about changes to the UTME structure.
The proposed inclusion of life skills and critical thinking signals a possible shift towards assessing a broader range of competencies in Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, although the final details will depend on the outcome of the committee’s review and JAMB’s subsequent decisions.
