The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is considering plans to introduce life skills and critical thinking assessments into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as part of efforts to broaden how candidates are evaluated for admission into higher institutions.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Segun Aina, disclosed this on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during an appearance on a Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme.
According to Aina, the proposed changes are intended to assess candidates beyond their knowledge of conventional school subjects by examining skills that could help them navigate academic and everyday challenges. 
He explained that a committee comprising education stakeholders and experts had been established to recommend how life skills and critical thinking could be incorporated into the examination.
The committee will also determine whether the proposed assessments should be conducted as separate subjects or integrated into the existing UTME subjects.
Although the plans are still under consideration, the initiative signals a possible shift in how JAMB evaluates candidates seeking admission into Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions.
The registrar also offered an explanation of how UTME scores should be interpreted, cautioning against using a candidate’s result as the sole measure of their knowledge or intellectual ability.
According to him, the examination score primarily indicates how a candidate performed relative to other candidates who sat for the same examination.
Aina explained that the minimum admission score and the perception of a candidate’s performance could depend on the overall results recorded in a particular examination year.
He illustrated this by noting that if a large number of candidates scored above 300, a score of 299 could appear comparatively low despite being a substantial score in absolute terms.
“It is not how good you are that your JAMB score speaks to. It is more about how you rank against others,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to understand the role of comparative performance in interpreting UTME results rather than judging candidates’ abilities solely by their scores.
In another development, Aina announced new measures designed to assist candidates who encounter difficulties updating their personal information linked to their JAMB registration.
He said candidates who had lost access to the telephone numbers or email addresses associated with their registration could now seek to update them through procedures approved by the board.
The registrar also disclosed that JAMB had introduced a National Identification Number (NIN) alignment process to address discrepancies in candidates’ personal records.
Under the procedure, affected candidates can first correct their details with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) before aligning the updated information with their JAMB profiles.
The measure is expected to assist candidates whose admission or educational progression has been affected by inconsistencies involving their names, dates of birth and other personal information.
Explaining the previous challenges, Aina said restrictions on changing certain personal details had left some candidates struggling to resolve discrepancies in their records.
“Before, you could not change your name or your date of birth on the JAMB profile,” he said.
He added that the situation had left many people unable to progress with their education despite completing their degree programmes.
“Thousands of people were stuck. They completed their degrees; they couldn’t go to university because this wasn’t possible. It is now possible,” the registrar said.
Aina advised candidates seeking clarification on the new procedures and other JAMB services to consult the board’s official website and verified social media platforms for further information.
