The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering plans to introduce life skills and critical thinking assessments into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of efforts to improve the evaluation of candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
JAMB Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, disclosed the proposal during an appearance on the Nigeria Television Authority’s Good Morning Nigeria programme, explaining that the initiative would enable the board to assess candidates beyond their knowledge of conventional academic subjects.
According to Aina, the proposed reform is intended to determine how effectively candidates can reason, make decisions, solve problems and apply knowledge to practical situations.
The board has established a committee comprising education stakeholders and assessment experts to examine how these competencies could be incorporated into the examination. The committee is expected to determine whether life skills and critical thinking should be assessed as separate components or integrated into existing UTME subjects.
The proposal forms part of a broader review of the examination framework to determine whether the current system adequately predicts candidates’ readiness for higher education.
Aina explained that academic knowledge alone might not fully capture the abilities students need to succeed in demanding professional and educational environments. Using medicine as an example, he noted that professionals require sound judgement and critical reasoning in addition to technical knowledge.
The proposed assessment could therefore provide institutions with a broader understanding of candidates’ abilities and suitability for different courses.
However, the registrar stressed that the initiative would not replace existing academic requirements. Rather, the committee would examine whether additional assessment methods could complement the current system and improve candidate selection.
The proposal also reflects wider discussions about the role of education in developing practical competencies, analytical thinking and independent decision-making among young people.
If adopted, the changes could influence how prospective university students prepare for the UTME, potentially requiring them to demonstrate not only what they have learnt but also how they interpret information and apply it to real-life situations.
JAMB has not yet announced a final implementation date or confirmed the precise format of the proposed assessment. Any changes will depend on the committee’s recommendations and subsequent decisions by the board.
In a related development, Aina clarified that UTME scores should not be interpreted as an absolute measure of a candidate’s knowledge or intelligence. He explained that the examination primarily serves to rank candidates relative to their peers, meaning the significance of a particular score can depend on the overall performance of candidates in that examination cycle.
The board has also announced measures to address difficulties candidates experience when updating personal information, including changes involving registered telephone numbers, email addresses and discrepancies in identity records.
JAMB has advised candidates to follow its official communication channels for updates on the proposed examination reforms and any approved changes to the UTME structure.
For now, candidates should continue preparing under the existing examination requirements while awaiting further clarification from the board.
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