The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, says its committee is working on the inclusion of critical thinking and life skills in its examinations as part of efforts to improve the assessment of candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.
Registrar of JAMB, 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 proposal was still under consideration, adding that the committee, headed by renowned psychometrician, Prof. Boniface Nworgu, would examine whether assessing candidates’ reasoning, decision-making and problem-solving abilities could complement existing academic requirements.
He explained that the initiative was intended to determine whether candidates possessed the competencies needed to apply knowledge to practical situations, rather than relying solely on conventional academic assessments.
According to him, the committee would review relevant evidence and establish how such skills could be measured reliably before making recommendations to the board’s management.
Aina said if the proposal received approval, JAMB would constitute a panel of experts to develop an implementation framework.
He stressed that the initiative would not replace existing academic requirements but would explore additional ways of determining candidates’ suitability for their chosen courses.
While using medicine as an example, the registrar noted that professionals needed more than technical knowledge to perform effectively, as they must also demonstrate sound judgement, critical reasoning and an understanding of the consequences of their decisions.
Apart from the proposed examination reforms, Aina said JAMB was reviewing its operational policies to build public trust, improve transparency and reduce the difficulties candidates encounter during registration, examinations and admission.
He said the board’s ongoing policy adjustments were focused on “building trust and reducing trauma”, adding that the objective was to make its services more accessible and responsive without necessarily overhauling its existing operational framework.
The registrar disclosed that candidates could now access more detailed information about their admission status, unlike the previous system in which generic notifications such as “not admitted” or “admission in progress” often left applicants uncertain about the outcome of their applications.
He said the improved information would enable candidates to monitor their admission progress and reduce the anxiety associated with waiting for decisions from tertiary institutions.
Aina also said technological improvements had made it easier for candidates to update their telephone numbers and email addresses, particularly when they lost access to the contact details originally registered with the board.
On changes to names and other personal information, he said JAMB had strengthened its collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission to facilitate legitimate corrections while preventing identity manipulation.
He warned that candidates who attempted to exploit the system to alter their identities fraudulently would face legal consequences.
Aina described his administration’s approach as a consolidation of previous reforms, acknowledging the contributions of earlier leaderships, particularly his predecessor, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, to strengthening the board’s operations and expanding the use of technology.
He also defended the importance of 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 mandate 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 ensure 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 the board’s 2026 Customer Week, which provided an opportunity for candidates to raise concerns and receive updates on measures aimed at improving JAMB’s services.
