UTME: JAMB Considers Life Skills, Critical Thinking Tests for Admission Seekers

• JAMB is considering adding life skills and critical thinking to the UTME, while introducing procedures to help candidates resolve discrepancies in their personal records.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering changes to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to assess candidates’ life skills and critical thinking alongside their academic knowledge.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed the proposal during an appearance on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria programme on Wednesday.

He said the proposed reforms would broaden the assessment of candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions and make the examination more relevant to the demands of higher education.

A committee comprising education stakeholders and experts has been established to recommend how the competencies could be assessed. It will also consider whether they should become separate examination components or be integrated into existing UTME subjects.

Addressing the interpretation of UTME results, Aina said scores primarily helped to rank candidates against others who sat the examination.

“It is not how good you are that your JAMB score speaks to. It is more about how you rank against others,” he said.

He explained that minimum entry scores should be understood in the context of candidates’ overall performance within an examination cycle.

“If you are in a cohort of JAMB candidates where everybody scores above 300, then 299 will suddenly start to look like a very low score. So, we must put this thing in proper perspective,” the registrar said.

Aina also outlined measures aimed at helping candidates resolve problems with their personal information.

According to him, candidates who have lost access to their registered telephone numbers or email addresses can now apply to change them through the board’s procedures.

He further announced a National Identification Number alignment process, allowing candidates to correct their records with the National Identity Management Commission and subsequently align the information with their JAMB profiles.

“Before, you could not change your name or your date of birth on the JAMB profile,” he said.

The registrar explained that the process was intended to assist candidates whose educational progression had been affected by discrepancies in their records.

“Thousands of people were stuck. They completed their degrees; they couldn’t go to university because this wasn’t possible. It is now possible,” he added.

He urged candidates to consult JAMB’s official website and social media platforms for details of the procedures and other services offered by the board.