CBT centre proprietors say decade-old charge is “grossly inadequate” amid rising operational costs and inflation.

The Computer-Based Test Centres Proprietors Association of Nigeria (CBTCPAN) has criticised the N700 Computer-Based Test Centre Registration Service Charge paid for each candidate registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing it as grossly inadequate in the face of rising operational costs.

The complaint follows the announcement by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that it has remitted N1.57 billion to accredited CBT centres that participated in the 2026 UTME registration exercise.

JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, said the amount represents the N700 service charge collected from candidates on behalf of CBT centres. According to him, the fee is remitted weekly alongside ePIN registration charges.

“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 bulletin stated.

However, the President of the CBTCPAN, Austin Ohaekelem, argued that the N700 charge no longer reflects the realities of operating CBT centres.

“The cost of registering a candidate when I joined the CBT programme in 2016 was N700. Ten years later, it is still N700,” Ohaekelem said.

“This is apart from additional requirements and stipulations that change almost every year, as well as the logistics and tools required to run these centres. The cost of living and inflation have increased significantly, yet we are still being asked to charge N700.”

He also noted that CBT centres are not allowed to collect the fee directly from candidates and highlighted the increasing human resource and operational demands involved in the registration process.

Since 2018, JAMB has maintained its fee structure while warning that any CBT centre found overcharging candidates would face sanctions.

The board’s current fee breakdown includes N7,200 for UTME only, N8,700 for UTME with mock examination, and N5,700 for Direct Entry. The charges cover an application fee of N3,500, a reading text fee of N1,000, a CBT centre registration service charge of N700, a CBT centre UTME service charge of N1,500, bank charges of N500, and a CBT Mock-UTME centre charge of N1,500.

Registration for the 2026 UTME 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 run until April 25.