Operators of accredited Computer-Based Test centres have raised concerns over the N700 service charge paid for registering candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, describing the fee as inadequate amid rising operational costs.
The protest was voiced by the President of the Computer-Based Test Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Austin Ohaekelem, shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced the disbursement of N1.57bn to accredited centres for the 2026 registration exercise.
In a bulletin released on Monday through its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the board stated that the payment represents the N700 registration service charge collected from candidates on behalf of CBT centres.
The statement read, “In line with this arrangement, the Board has remitted a total sum of N1,570,671,200 to the CBT centres that participated in the 2026 UTME registration exercise.”
The examination body noted that the fee structure has remained unchanged since 2018 and warned that centres found overcharging candidates would face sanctions.
According to the board’s breakdown, the UTME fee is structured as follows: N7,200 for UTME only, N8,700 for UTME with mock examination and N5,700 for Direct Entry. The charges include an application fee of N3,500, reading text of N1,000, CBT centre registration service charge of N700, CBT UTME service charge of N1,500, bank charges of N500 and CBT mock centre charge of N1,500.
However, Ohaekelem insisted that the N700 charge no longer reflects the realities of running CBT centres in the current economic climate.
“The cost of registering a candidate as of 2016, when I joined the CBT programme, was N700. Ten years later, it is still N700,” he said.
“This is apart from additional requirements and stipulations that change almost every year, as well as the logistics and tools we need to run these centres. You and I know the cost of living and the inflation rate, yet we are still being asked to charge N700.”
He said the cost of maintaining equipment and facilities has increased significantly, noting that laptops capable of supporting examination activities cost at least N150,000 and require periodic replacement.
“If I handle 3,000 candidates, that’s N2.1 million. Then I pay staff, diesel, rent, service equipment and repairs. In Lagos, a 250-capacity hall will cost no less than N3 million per year; in Ebute Metta, my centre can’t go below N5 million annually. By the time you account for staff and fuel, the N700 registration fee barely covers costs,” he explained.
Ohaekelem added that centres are not allowed to collect the fee directly from candidates, explaining that payments are first made to JAMB before being reimbursed weekly.
“What JAMB does is refund the money every week. It’s not like we collect it ourselves. The candidate registers, we pay JAMB, and then we get reimbursed,” he said.
He also emphasised the human resource demands involved in managing registration and examination processes.
“We have to hire staff to coordinate registration, supervise the exams and manage logistics. Candidates crowd in and someone must be on duty. All these expenses come from a fee that hasn’t changed in ten years. It’s grossly inadequate.”
Despite their role in Nigeria’s examination system, he said CBT centre operators often feel sidelined by authorities.
“We are integral to the education sector, yet often seen as a pressure group rather than partners. We even wrote to the Education Minister last year, but we’ve yet to get a response,” he said.
Defending its policy, JAMB stated that the cashless registration system has helped reduce abuse, eliminate unauthorised charges and improve transparency, particularly in privately owned centres.
The board also highlighted its “No View, No Pay” policy, under which payments to centres are withheld if registration activities cannot be monitored remotely from its headquarters in Abuja until any anomalies are corrected.
The 2026 UTME registration closed on February 28, while the examination is scheduled to hold nationwide from April 16 to April 25. Registration for the Direct Entry programme began on March 2 and will end on April 25.
