Here is the new cost of obtaining UTME, SSCE and BECE forms in Nigeria following the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari on November 28, 2018.
Full meaning of UTME
UTME is an abbreviation for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. It is a yearly computer-based standardized examination for prospective admission seekers in Nigeria.
The exam is conducted by JAMB-www.jamb.org.ng-Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board who are seeking admission into Nigerian universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, monotechnics.
Score / grade range: 0 to 400
Validity of UTME result: 1 year
Cost of UTME form
| Old fee for UTME form | New fee for UTME form |
| 5,000 Naira | 3,500 Naira |
Full meaning of SSCE
SSCE means Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, which is the final examination written by Nigerian students at the end of their six years education in secondary school.
Two examination bodies conduct SSCE in Nigeria:
- WAEC
- NECO.
This gives students the option of choosing which to write or write both.
While WAEC (West African Examination Council) covers West African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone, NECO SSCE is exclusively designed for Nigerian students in their final year in secondary schools.
So, the new fee addresses NECO SSCE.
Importance of SSCE in Nigeria
SSCE is a requirement for students willing to sit for UTME. This means that SSCE is mandatory for admission into any Nigerian tertiary institutions
Cost of NECO SSCE form
| Old fee for SSCE form | New fee for UTME form |
| 11,350 Naira | 9,850Naira |
Full meaning of BECE
BECE means Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which is the main entrance examination for students seeking admission into Senior Secondary School or vocational schools in Nigeria.
Cost of BECE form
| Old fee for BECE form | New fee for BECE form |
| 5,500 Naira | 4,000 Naira |
The announcement of the reduction
The approval was granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the State House Villa, Abuja.
When will the new fees become effective
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who briefed journalists said the new fees would become effective from January 2019.
JAMB gives reason for the reduction in UTME fee
The reduction was meant to reduce burden of examination costs on parents, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board said on Wednesday, a few minutes after the announcement.
JAMB’s Head of Media, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari was concerned about the burden of the registration fees on the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
“In Mr. President’s determination to alleviate poverty and ensure that every Nigerian desirous of tertiary education is not deprived, government had introduced policies and incentive to boost the economy of ordinary Nigerians and has seen this reduction as a platform to bring more Nigerians on the tertiary education template.
“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board had in less than two years shown commitment to the avowed direction of the President Buhari-led administration by returning over 15 billion.
“Government had deliberated extensively on how to ensure that every Nigerian benefitted from the prudent management of resources in JAMB and came up with the fee reduction.
“The Board has been charged to sustain its known inclusiveness, transparency, accountability and the enviable position it is occupying amongst global examination bodies.”
Note:
There may be administrative charges for registration at registration centres, but definitely you’ll be paying less compared to what your seniors paid in 2018 or previous years.
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