(JAMB. Photo by Vanguard News)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has begun a major redesign of how Nigeria selects students for tertiary institutions, looking to shift the focus from pure subject knowledge toward reasoning, problem-solving and real-world application of learning.
JAMB Registrar Prof. Segun Aina announced Tuesday that a committee of education experts will develop a framework for adding life skills and critical thinking assessments to the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The move could fundamentally reshape how candidates seeking admission to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are evaluated.
Aina explained that UTME serves as a ranking tool rather than a subject knowledge test.
Since candidates have already demonstrated their grasp of subjects through secondary school exams administered by bodies like WAEC and NECO, asking UTME to do the same amounts to needless repetition.
The task facing JAMB is different to identify who possesses the intellectual capacity to thrive in higher education.
The registrar questioned whether existing UTME methods still accurately predict who will succeed at tertiary level.
The core examination format has barely changed in over three decades despite significant shifts in what tertiary education demands of students.
Education approaches have evolved with greater emphasis on skills and critical thinking, yet UTME has remained static.
Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa instructed the committee to craft assessment systems that are standardised, transparent and fair while measuring analytical, logical and verbal reasoning.
The focus should be on determining not just what students know but how effectively they apply knowledge, think through problems and reason.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Boniface Nworgu of University of Nigeria Nsukka, brings together representatives from universities, examination councils, professional bodies, secondary schools and student organisations.
The group has four weeks to examine the proposal and develop recommendations, with tenure extendable if needed.
Nworgu said the committee will demand evidence-based reform measured against clear baselines.
Any changes must demonstrably strengthen UTME’s ability to predict tertiary success rather than consuming resources without proven benefit.
The recommendations will guide JAMB’s next phase, which may involve assessment specialists developing detailed frameworks for adoption.
