JAMB, WAEC End Multiple O’Level Verification Charges
By Cynthia Okere, Lagos
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have introduced a one-off N4,000 fee for the verification of WASSCE O’Level results, ending repeated verification payments by candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.
The two examination bodies announced the arrangement in a joint statement following consultations on the implementation of the recently introduced WASSCE O’Level Result Verification Service.
Under the new system, candidates whose admissions are regulated and coordinated by JAMB will verify their WAEC results once through the JAMB-provided verification platform.
After the verification, JAMB will make the outcome available to the tertiary institution where the candidate is seeking admission.
Candidates are therefore expected to pay the N4,000 verification fee only once through the specified JAMB platform and not to their preferred institutions.
JAMB and WAEC said tertiary institutions should rely on the verified results supplied by JAMB for screening, admission processing and other administrative purposes.
This means candidates who have successfully verified their WASSCE O’Level results through the service should not be asked to pay another verification fee by individual tertiary institutions.
WAEC has also authorised JAMB to share the outcome of the verification exercise with the relevant institutions for admission and related administrative purposes.
The arrangement follows JAMB’s introduction of a system allowing candidates to initiate the uploading and verification of their O’Level results remotely, rather than making repeated visits to JAMB-approved Computer-Based Test centres solely for the exercise.
The examination bodies said the collaboration is aimed at reducing unnecessary costs and simplifying the admission process while maintaining the integrity and security of candidates’ academic records.
For admission seekers, the policy effectively introduces a “verify once” system: once a candidate’s WASSCE result has been successfully verified through JAMB, the verification can be used by the relevant tertiary institution without subjecting the candidate to another payment for the same exercise.
JAMB and WAEC consequently urged candidates to use the designated verification service and cautioned against making the N4,000 payment directly to their chosen institutions.