By VERONICA DARIYA

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has approved that its accredited Computer Based Tests (CBT) centres should increase service charge per candidate from N1,400 to N2,000.

JAMB made this known in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar on Monday in Abuja.

The board explained that initially, each candidate paid the sum of N1,400 made up of N700 for mock-UTME and another N700 for the UTME.

The board said that the decision for approval by its management followed the high cost of diesel and other energy challenges in the country.

“Henceforth, partnering CBT centres will collect the sum of N2,000 as service charges from candidates sitting for both the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and mock-UTME.

“In essence, candidates who did not indicate to sit for the mock-UTME will pay only N1, 000 for the UTME while those who want to sit for the mock UTME will pay additional N1,000.

“This is irrespective of whether they sit for the examination or not,” it stated.

It stated that the Board resolved on this move as many candidates who indicated interest to take the mock-UTME had oftentimes refused to turn up for the exercise.

“They end up forcing the centres to expend resources in preparation for their appearance.

“The implication of this is that once you indicate interest to sit the mock-UTME, you are duty bound to pay for the exercise whether you take the examination or do otherwise,” it stated.

It, however, explained that the high cost of maintaining the centres for the two exercises, prompted it to approve the increase to ameliorate the pressure on the centres.

“Consequently, candidates are now advised to make up their minds if, indeed, they want to participate in the mock exercise before indicating their interest at the point of registration.

“This is because they will be required to pay for it.

“It is also owing to the fact that once candidates indicate their interest to take the mock-UTME, the centres to which they will be assigned to will be mandated to put in place necessary facilities to prepare for their appearance,” JAMB said.

In a similar development, the board also said that it would delist all CBT centres that failed to meet up with its approved capacity during the 2022 exercise.

This, JAMB said, would include all centres that were not able to perform optimally to the approved capacities leading to the reduction of their capacities to conduct the 2022 UTME to specification.

“Those centres that experienced same challenges in the previous year but were pardoned, yet failed to address their failings would be permanently delisted,” it stated.

The board said that the measure became imperative as it had begun preparations for its next exercise, while also assuring of its readiness to surpass this year’s success in subsequent exercises.

JAMB also said that fresh CBT centres applications would require a facility, fitted solely with laptops having a minimum of 14 inch monitor before securing necessary approval.

This, the board said, was part of measures to curb power outages in centres during its exercise.

It also urged both new and old centres to acquire alternative power sources in form of inverters and solar energy, rather than depending solely on generator power.

Other additional minimum requirements, JAMB noted, would be released subsequently. (NAN)

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