The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering the inclusion of critical thinking and life skills in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to assess candidates’ reasoning, decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interaction with UTME candidates at the board’s Abuja Zonal Office as part of activities marking its 2026 Customer Week.
Aina said a committee headed by renowned psychometrician, Prof. Boniface Nworgu, was examining the proposal to determine how the additional competencies could complement existing academic requirements for admission into tertiary institutions.
He explained that the proposed reform was aimed at assessing candidates’ ability to apply knowledge to practical situations rather than relying solely on conventional academic examinations.
According to him, the committee would review relevant evidence and establish reliable methods for measuring the skills before submitting its recommendations to the board’s management.
He added that if the proposal received approval, JAMB would constitute a panel of experts to develop an implementation framework.
The registrar stressed that the initiative would not replace existing academic requirements but would explore additional ways of determining candidates’ suitability for their chosen courses.
Using medicine as an example, Aina noted that professional competence required more than technical knowledge, as practitioners also needed sound judgement, critical reasoning and an understanding of the consequences of their decisions.
Beyond the proposed examination reform, the registrar said JAMB was reviewing its operational policies to strengthen public trust, improve transparency and reduce the difficulties candidates face during registration, examinations and admission.
predecessor, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to strengthening the board’s operations and expanding the use of technology.
He also defended the harmonised examination timetable, noting that although it could shorten JAMB’s preparation period, it helped ensure that results were released in time to support admission exercises across the education sector.
The registrar maintained that JAMB’s responsibilities extended beyond conducting the UTME to coordinating admissions and ensuring that qualified candidates secured places based on merit.
“Don’t forget, we are popular for the exams, but the exam is not our only mandate. Our core, the exam is a means to an end. Our core is the admissions exercise itself,” he said.
He added that the board would continue to moderate interactions between candidates and tertiary institutions to promote fairness, transparency and compliance with admission requirements.
“The people we serve don’t need to know anybody to get admission. It is our job to stand and moderate the interaction between these candidates and the institutions, and make sure they get their rightful places in the universities,” Aina said.
The interaction formed part of JAMB’s 2026 Customer Week, which provided candidates with an opportunity to raise concerns and receive updates on measures being introduced to improve the board’s services.
