JAMB warns CBT centres against UTME fee overcharging

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has urged candidates who paid more than the approved registration fees for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to report the centres involved, providing credible evidence.

The board warned that any Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre found guilty of overcharging or other sharp practices would face sanctions.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, following reports suggesting that the board had increased registration fees.

JAMB clarified that its charges remain unchanged, stating that the approved fees are ₦7,200 for UTME without mock, ₦8,700 for UTME with mock, and ₦5,700 for Direct Entry candidates.

According to the board, candidates who were asked to pay more than the stipulated amounts should promptly file complaints to enable investigations and disciplinary action against erring centres.

The board also announced that while the sale of e-PINs for the 2026 UTME ended on Thursday, registration at accredited CBT centres for candidates who had already purchased their e-PINs will close on Saturday, February 28. It added that more than 1.5 million candidates had registered nationwide as of February 17.

JAMB maintained that its fee structure has remained unchanged since 2019 despite rising operational costs. It recalled that the application fee was reduced following approval by the Federal Executive Council, bringing the UTME application cost down from ₦5,000 to ₦3,500 beginning with the 2019 exercise.

The board provided a breakdown of the current charges: ₦3,500 for application, ₦1,000 for the reading text, ₦700 CBT registration service charge, ₦1,500 CBT UTME service charge, ₦500 bank charges, and ₦1,500 for the mock-UTME centre fee.

JAMB advised parents and candidates to be cautious of agents and centres attempting to exploit them by demanding payments above the official fees. It stressed that claims of a fee increase are false and urged the public to rely only on information released through its verified platforms and official advertisements.