By: Mercy Peter
Candidates preparing for future Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) may soon be tested on more than just textbook knowledge.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has revealed plans to integrate life skills and critical thinking into the entrance examination to better evaluate applicants seeking admission into tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
The Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed the proposed reforms on Wednesday during an appearance on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria.
Addressing common misconceptions about examination results, Prof. Aina emphasized that UTME scores primarily serve as a ranking mechanism rather than an absolute test of a candidate’s intelligence.
”It is not how good you are that your JAMB score speaks to; it is more about how you rank against others,” Aina explained.
He noted that cut-off benchmarks fluctuate based on general performance within a specific examination cycle:
”If you are in a cohort where everybody scores above 300, then 299 will suddenly look like a very low score. We must put this in proper perspective.”
To make candidate assessments more relevant to the demands of higher education and modern workforce needs, JAMB has set up a committee of educational experts and key stakeholders.
The committee is tasked with reviewing the current UTME framework and recommending how to roll out the new competencies. Key considerations include:
Whether to introduce life skills and critical thinking as standalone components.
Whether to embed these skills directly into existing academic subjects.
Beyond academic reforms, JAMB has introduced key administrative updates to resolve long-standing registration bottlenecks for candidates.
Lost Contact Information: Applicants who have lost access to their registered phone numbers or email addresses can now update them through streamlined board procedures.
NIN Profile Alignment: Candidates can now adjust details such as names or dates of birth with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and automatically align the corrected data with their JAMB profiles.
Prof. Aina highlighted the impact of these changes, noting that profile mismatches previously created severe academic roadblocks for thousands of students.
”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 [or coursework], but couldn’t proceed because this wasn’t possible. It is now possible.”
JAMB advises all candidates and prospective applicants to visit the board’s official website and verified social media channels for detailed step-by-step guides on the new profile correction procedures.
