JAMB clarifies move to assess candidates in critical thinking

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said its proposal to introduce critical thinking and life skills assessments into its examinations is still under consideration, with a committee set up to evaluate its feasibility and potential benefits.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interaction with Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates at the board’s Abuja Zonal Office as part of activities marking its 2026 Customer Week.

Aina said the committee, headed by psychometrician Prof. Boniface Nworgu, would assess whether candidates’ reasoning, decision-making and problem-solving abilities could complement existing academic requirements for admission into tertiary institutions.

He explained that the proposal was intended to determine whether candidates had the skills to apply knowledge to practical situations, beyond demonstrating academic proficiency through conventional examinations.

According to him, the committee would review available evidence and determine whether the proposed skills could be measured reliably before submitting its recommendations to the board’s management.

Aina stressed that no final decision had been made, adding that if the recommendations received management approval, JAMB would establish a panel of experts to develop an implementation framework.

He said the proposal was not intended to replace existing academic requirements but to explore additional ways of assessing candidates’ suitability for their chosen courses.

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Using medicine as an example, the registrar said professional competence required more than technical knowledge, as practitioners also needed sound judgement, critical reasoning and the ability to understand the consequences of their decisions.

He said the proposal required careful evaluation to determine whether assessing these competencies could improve candidate selection and contribute to better outcomes in the education system.

Beyond the proposed examination reform, Aina said JAMB was reviewing its operational policies to strengthen public trust, improve transparency, and reduce the challenges candidates face during registration, examinations, and admission.

He described the board’s current approach as policy optimisation rather than a complete overhaul of its operations.

“All the policy optimisation that we are doing is centered around two things: building trust and reducing trauma,” he said.

Aina said the board had improved access to information on admission status, allowing candidates to receive more detailed updates instead of relying solely on generic notifications such as “not admitted” or “admission in progress”.

He said the improvement was intended to reduce uncertainty and anxiety among candidates awaiting admission decisions from tertiary institutions.

The registrar also disclosed that technological upgrades had made it easier for candidates to update their registered telephone numbers and email addresses, particularly when they lost access to their original contact details.

On changes to names and other personal information, Aina said JAMB had strengthened its collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to facilitate legitimate corrections and prevent identity manipulation.

He warned that candidates who attempted to exploit the process to fraudulently alter their identities would face the full consequences of the law.

Aina described his administration’s approach as a continuation of existing reforms, acknowledging the contributions of previous leaderships, particularly his predecessor, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to improving the integrity of the admission system 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 the timely release of results to support admission exercises across the education sector.

The registrar maintained that JAMB’s mandate extended beyond conducting the UTME to coordinating admissions and ensuring that qualified candidates secured places in tertiary institutions 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 regulate 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 was part of JAMB’s 2026 Customer Week, which provided candidates with an opportunity to raise concerns and receive updates on measures to improve the board’s services.