The Computer-Based Test Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria has raised concerns over the N700 Computer-Based Test Centre registration service charge for candidates registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, describing the fee as “grossly inadequate” in the face of rising operational costs and increasing logistical demands required to operate accredited centres across the country.
The association said the fee, which has remained unchanged for several years, no longer reflects the economic realities confronting operators of CBT centres who provide critical infrastructure for the conduct of the examination. The association’s President, Austin Ohaekelem, made this known in an interview with The PUNCH on Monday shortly after the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board announced that it had disbursed N1.57 billion to accredited CBT centres that participated in the 2026 UTME registration exercise.
Ohaekelem argued that while CBT operators play an essential role in Nigeria’s tertiary education admission process, the N700 service charge paid for each candidate registered does not adequately cover the operational expenses required to run and maintain such facilities.
In a bulletin released on Monday, JAMB, through its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, confirmed that the payment represented the N700 registration fee collected from candidates on behalf of CBT centres and remitted to them periodically.
The board explained that the payment forms part of the standard arrangement in which the registration service charge collected from candidates is returned to accredited centres alongside other related charges. The bulletin stated, “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.”
JAMB further maintained that its fee structure has remained unchanged since 2018 and warned that any centre found overcharging candidates would face sanctions. According to the board, candidates currently pay ₦7,200 for the UTME only option, ₦8,700 for UTME with mock examination, and ₦5,700 for Direct Entry applications. The fee structure includes an Application Fee of ₦3,500, Reading Text costing ₦1,000, a CBT Centre Registration Service Charge of ₦700, a CBT Centre UTME Service Charge of ₦1,500, Bank Charges of ₦500, and a CBT Mock-UTME Centre Charge of ₦1,500.
However, speaking on behalf of CBT centre operators, Ohaekelem insisted that the ₦700 charge no longer reflects the financial realities associated with running CBT centres across the country. He explained that the amount has remained unchanged for a decade despite significant increases in operational costs.
According to him, “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 further noted that operators now face additional requirements and regulatory stipulations that change almost every year, adding to the financial burden placed on CBT centres.
“This is apart from additional requirements, stipulations that change almost every year, and 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. Ohaekelem emphasised that the costs of acquiring and maintaining the technological equipment required to operate CBT centres have increased significantly over the years.
He explained, “A laptop that can serve for three years costs at least N150,000. 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.”
Ohaekelem also clarified that CBT centres do not collect the registration service charge directly from candidates, explaining that the payment process is managed by JAMB. According to him, centres initially remit the fee to the board and are later reimbursed.
He said, “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. For the N700 service, we were supposed to collect it directly, but they said we should pay it to them first, so it looks like they are paying us a grant. That’s not the reality.”
He further pointed to the human resource demands involved in managing CBT centres during the registration and examination processes, noting that staff must be employed to coordinate candidate registration, supervise examinations and manage daily logistics.
“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,” he said.
While acknowledging the important role CBT centres play in facilitating Nigeria’s tertiary admission process, Ohaekelem expressed concern that operators are often not recognised as strategic partners within the education sector. He lamented that CBT centre operators are frequently treated as pressure groups rather than stakeholders whose contributions are vital to the success of national examinations.
According to him, “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.” Despite these concerns, JAMB has defended its current fee structure, explaining that the introduction of its cashless registration system has significantly reduced abuses associated with the UTME registration process while improving transparency and accountability.
According to the board, candidates now purchase the UTME ePIN and register at any accredited centre of their choice without making separate payments directly to the centres.
The board also highlighted its “No View, No Pay” policy, which ensures that payments to CBT centres are only made when registration activities can be monitored remotely from JAMB’s headquarters in Abuja.
Under the policy, the board explained that payments are withheld if activities at a centre cannot be viewed or monitored during the registration process, and such payments are only released after the centre corrects any anomalies. According to the bulletin, “This monitoring mechanism forms part of the Board’s broader technological innovations aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability and strict adherence to registration guidelines.”
JAMB also provided updates on the 2026 UTME registration exercise, noting that the registration process officially closed on February 28, while the examination itself is scheduled to take place nationwide between April 16 and April 25. The board added that registration for the Direct Entry programme began on March 2 and will continue until April 25.
Meanwhile, JAMB Registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, also used the opportunity to clarify issues concerning Higher National Diploma graduates during a meeting with the National Association of Polytechnic Students led by Eshofune Oghayan. The clarification came amid concerns raised by HND graduates who had experienced difficulties with mobilisation into the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Many of these graduates completed part-time or non-regular National Diploma programmes, which have complicated their eligibility for the mandatory national service programme that typically requires full-time academic study for the highest qualification obtained.
Addressing the issue, Oloyede explained that JAMB does not control admissions into HND programmes offered by polytechnics and therefore cannot provide the necessary data required for NYSC mobilisation. He said, “The board is not responsible for admitting HND students into polytechnics and, therefore, has no data to facilitate their entry into the NYSC scheme.”
Oloyede further explained that JAMB admissions into tertiary institutions are conducted through its automated Central Admissions Processing System, which was introduced to improve transparency and restore institutional autonomy while eliminating irregularities in the admissions process.
According to him, “CAPS automates the admissions process into tertiary institutions, addresses challenges associated with the manual approach, and empowers candidates with information on available institutions and programmes.”
The registrar also criticised certain polytechnics and programmes that bypass the official admissions system, particularly some “Daily Part-Time” HND programmes that he described as exploitative. He warned that such irregular admissions often create problems for graduates seeking recognition or mobilisation for national service.
Oloyede said, “Some polytechnics have conducted illegal admissions, with one institution reportedly having over 42,000 irregular cases. If institutions follow the proper process, there would be no problem. On our part, we will continue to render quality service beneficial to all stakeholders. Let’s do things properly.”