The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced plans to review the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) with a proposal to incorporate life skills and critical thinking into the assessment of candidates.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this during the inauguration of a committee tasked with developing a framework for the proposed changes. The initiative is aimed at ensuring that UTME remains relevant to the changing demands of tertiary education and assesses skills candidates can apply in real-life situations.
WHY JAMB IS REVIEWING THE UTME
According to the Registrar, candidates already undergo subject-based assessments through their O'Level examinations conducted by bodies such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The review will therefore examine whether the existing UTME format is still effective in predicting candidates' ability to succeed at universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
JAMB also noted that the basic UTME format has remained largely unchanged for more than three decades, making a review necessary in response to changes in tertiary education and the skills expected of students.
COMMITTEE GIVEN FOUR WEEKS
The committee comprises stakeholders from universities, examination bodies, professional regulatory councils, secondary schools, students' organisations and development institutions.
The committee has been given an initial period of four weeks to examine the proposal and submit its recommendations. Further assessment and development would follow before any adopted framework is implemented.
WHAT THE PROPOSED CHANGES MAY INCLUDE
The proposed review may introduce greater assessment of candidates' ability to:
- Think critically
- Analyse information
- Reason logically
- Apply knowledge to real-life situations
- Solve problems
- Demonstrate verbal reasoning abilities
The committee will also consider whether life skills and critical thinking should be assessed as a separate standardised component or embedded within existing UTME subjects.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The proposed changes are still under review and are NOT yet a confirmed change to the current UTME format.
Candidates should therefore continue preparing according to the existing UTME requirements until JAMB officially announces and implements any approved changes.
The committee's recommendations will first undergo further assessment before JAMB determines the specific framework and method of implementation.
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