JAMB Initiates Reform of UTME to Assess Critical Skills

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is initiating a significant overhaul of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), as its Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, declared the existing subject-based format outdated after over three decades. Aina emphasized the need to shift from merely testing subject knowledge to evaluating critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

He noted that candidates have already demonstrated subject knowledge through O-Level examinations conducted by WAEC and NECO, and JAMB's role should focus on ranking candidates for admission. Aina questioned the current examination's effectiveness in predicting candidates' success in tertiary education.

A broad-based committee of education experts and stakeholders has been formed to develop a new framework, with an initial four-week timeline for recommendations. Dr. Tunji Alausa, representing the Minister of Education, supported the initiative as part of the Federal Government's educational reforms, urging the committee to create standardized methods for assessing candidates' analytical and reasoning abilities.