JAMB Begins Plans to Change UTME Structure

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced a review of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), with the possibility of introducing life skills and critical thinking into the assessment.

The proposed review is expected to examine how candidates seeking admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are assessed, particularly in areas such as reasoning, problem-solving and the application of knowledge.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of a committee made up of education stakeholders and experts to develop a framework for the proposed changes.

According to Aina, the review became necessary because UTME was originally designed primarily as a ranking examination for candidates who had already obtained their O'Level qualifications.

He explained that candidates' subject knowledge is already assessed through secondary school examinations conducted by bodies such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Aina therefore said JAMB was considering whether UTME should place greater emphasis on skills that could indicate a candidate's readiness for tertiary education rather than largely repeating subject-based assessments.

He also questioned whether the current UTME methodology remains effective in identifying candidates who are likely to cope successfully with academic demands at the tertiary level.

The registrar noted that the basic structure of UTME has remained largely unchanged for over three decades, stressing the need for periodic review as the education system and expectations of students continue to evolve.

The committee has initially been given four weeks to examine the proposed reform from a conceptual standpoint. Its tenure may, however, be extended if additional time is required.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Oni Adedeji, Technical Assistant to the Acting Permanent Secretary, said the proposed review aligns with efforts to improve assessment across the Nigerian education system.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, charged the committee to develop an assessment framework that would be standardised, fair and transparent while going beyond the recall of subject content.

The committee is expected to consider whether life skills and critical thinking should be assessed as a separate standardised examination or incorporated into the existing UTME subjects.

Meanwhile, the committee's chairman, Prof. Boniface Nworgu of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said the effectiveness of UTME should be measured by its ability to provide reliable information about candidates' prospects of succeeding in tertiary education.

Nworgu described UTME as a selection examination rather than a certificate examination, explaining that its purpose is to help identify candidates with strong potential to cope with academic tasks at the tertiary level.

He said the committee would rely on evidence in evaluating the proposed changes and would consider other measures if they could improve the examination's ability to predict candidates' performance.

The committee comprises representatives from universities, examination bodies, professional regulatory bodies, students' organisations, secondary schools and development agencies.