The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering the introduction of life skills and critical thinking assessments into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
JAMB Registrar Professor Segun Aina discussed the proposed changes on NTA's Good Morning Nigeria programme on Wednesday, saying the board wants to assess candidates beyond their knowledge of conventional academic subjects.
How the proposed UTME changes could work
A committee of education stakeholders and experts is developing recommendations on how life skills and critical thinking could be tested. It will consider whether they should form separate examination components or be incorporated into existing UTME subjects.
The proposal is still under consideration. JAMB has not announced a final format for introducing these skills into the examination.
JAMB explains how UTME scores are used
Professor Aina explained that a UTME score helps rank candidates against others who sat the examination, rather than serving as a direct measure of everything an individual knows.
He illustrated the point by saying that a score of 299 would appear comparatively low in an examination year when nearly everyone scored above 300. The significance of a minimum entry score therefore depends in part on the overall performance of candidates in that year.
Updates to candidates' personal information
The registrar also described changes intended to help applicants correct personal records that have previously affected their admission processes.
- Candidates who have lost access to their registered phone numbers or email addresses can now request changes through JAMB's procedures.
- A National Identification Number (NIN) alignment process allows candidates to update their records with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and align the corrected information with their JAMB profiles.
The NIN alignment arrangement is intended to address discrepancies such as names and dates of birth. Candidates should consult JAMB's official website and social media channels for the applicable procedures and updates.
