>
By Emmanuel Adeleke
Candidates hoping to write the mock Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) set up by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) pay the sum of N1,000 as service charge to the CBT centres where they are assigned to sit for the examination.
The examination body disclosed this in its weekly bulletin, on Monday.
JAMB noted that it increased the service charge from N600 to N1,000 due to the high cost of diesel in the country.
The examination body has earlier promised to provide soft-landing for CBT centres due to the hike in the price of diesel in the country.
The board also reiterated its stance that the mock examination is optional.
The mock examination is set to hold on Saturday, April 9, 2022.
“All candidates who had indicated their interest to sit the optional Mock-UTME are to pay N1,000 to the CBT centre where they are assigned to sit the examination as a service charge.
“The optional mock examination was introduced by the Board to give candidates the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the CBT environment.
“The candidates who indicated their interest to take the examination are to pay the N1000 at their respective centres for the use of the private facilities deployed for the examination.
“However, candidates assigned to JAMB owned centres would not be required to pay for the use of the centres. Much as the board would like to keep the cost at a minimum, the prevailing high cost of diesel and other consumables has necessitated the increase from N600 to N1,000 to enable the CBT centres provide the needed infrastructure, as partners of the board, to host the examination which is scheduled to hold on Saturday, April 9, 2022.
“The board has thought through this increase and resolved that instead of cancelling the mock-UTME, which introduction has improved candidates’ confidence in sitting the examination owing to the high cost of diesel, it is better to increase the service charge to make the exercise worthwhile to participating centre,” the board stated.