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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering plans to introduce 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.
The Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Wednesday during an appearance on the Nigeria Television Authority’s Good Morning Nigeria programme, explaining that the proposed changes would help determine candidates’ ability to think critically and apply practical skills.
Aina also clarified that a candidate’s UTME score should not be viewed as a direct measure of their knowledge, but rather as a ranking based on the performance of other candidates in the same examination cycle.
“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 the minimum entry score could appear low or high depending on the overall performance of candidates in a particular year.
“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.
On the proposed reforms, Aina said a committee comprising education stakeholders and experts had been established to recommend how life skills and critical thinking could be assessed. The committee is also expected to determine whether the competencies should be tested separately or incorporated into existing UTME subjects.
The registrar also announced changes aimed at helping candidates resolve problems with their personal information on JAMB profiles.
He said candidates who had lost access to their registered telephone numbers or email addresses could now update them through the board’s procedures.
Aina further disclosed that JAMB had introduced a National Identification Number (NIN) alignment process, allowing candidates to correct their details with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before aligning the updated information with their JAMB profiles.
He said the process would help candidates whose admission plans had been affected by discrepancies in their personal records.
“Before, you could not change your name or your date of birth on the JAMB profile,” he said.
“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.
Aina advised candidates to consult JAMB’s official website and social media platforms for further information on the proposed examination changes and the procedures for updating their personal details.
