JAMB introduces NIN data correction service for graduates barred from NYSC

Board considers life skills and critical thinking in UTME

Aina also disclosed that JAMB was examining the possibility of incorporating life-skills and critical-thinking assessments into the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The proposed reform is intended to give universities additional information about applicants’ abilities, allowing admission decisions to consider practical competencies and reasoning skills alongside conventional academic performance.

He said a committee had been established to study how the additional assessment components could be incorporated into the UTME framework.

According to the registrar, the proposal is based on the need to broaden the criteria used to assess candidates, particularly those whose strengths may not be fully reflected in their conventional examination scores.

He argued that candidates should have opportunities to demonstrate other competencies that could make them suitable for particular programmes, rather than being assessed solely on their performance in traditional academic subjects.

Aina suggested that universities could potentially use strong results in critical-thinking and life-skills assessments to consider candidates whose UTME scores were slightly below the usual cut-off marks for specific courses.

He illustrated the proposal with an example of an institution that might ordinarily require a score of 200 but could consider a candidate with 190 if the applicant performed exceptionally well in the additional assessments.

The registrar said such an approach could help institutions identify capable candidates who might otherwise be overlooked under conventional admission criteria.

However, the proposed changes remain under consideration, with the committee expected to examine how the assessments could be incorporated into the existing admission framework and used by tertiary institutions.

Aina said successful implementation would require cooperation between JAMB and universities to ensure that any additional assessment tools support fair and effective admission decisions.

Veritas University pledges support for JAMB

Earlier, Ichoku congratulated Aina on his appointment as registrar and assured him of Veritas University’s willingness to work with the examination body.

The vice-chancellor said the delegation’s visit was intended to formally welcome Aina to the position and express the institution’s support for his national responsibilities.

He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to maintaining a productive relationship with JAMB to strengthen admission administration and contribute to the development of higher education in Nigeria.

Ichoku also informed the registrar about the forthcoming Pan-African University Debating Championship, which Veritas University is hosting with the endorsement of the Federal Ministry of Education, and invited him to attend.

He added that the university’s students had continued to achieve recognition in national and international competitions, particularly in debating, sports and technological innovation.

According to him, these accomplishments reflect the institution’s efforts to nurture talent and equip young people with skills that extend beyond conventional classroom learning.

The planned NIN alignment service and the proposed expansion of UTME assessments represent separate initiatives under consideration by JAMB. While the first is intended to address identity-data discrepancies affecting candidates, the second could broaden how universities evaluate prospective students if the proposed changes are adopted.