Candidates seeking admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions will now pay a one-time fee of N4,000 to verify their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) O’Level results, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) have clarified.
The clarification followed consultations between the two examination bodies over JAMB’s newly introduced system that allows candidates to upload and verify their O’Level results remotely.
Under the arrangement, candidates whose admissions are coordinated through JAMB are expected to complete their WAEC result verification once through the JAMB platform. The verification outcome will then be transmitted to the tertiary institution where the candidate is seeking admission.
JAMB and WAEC stressed that institutions must not demand an additional verification payment from candidates after the process has been completed through JAMB.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the bodies said candidates would pay N4,000 only once for the verification of their WASSCE O’Level results and should make the payment through the designated platform rather than directly to their preferred institutions.
The institutions have also been directed to use the verified results provided by JAMB for admission screening, processing and other administrative requirements.
The new system was recently introduced by JAMB to allow candidates to upload and verify their O’Level results from home or any location with internet access. This is expected to reduce the need for candidates to visit JAMB-approved Computer-Based Test centres solely for result verification.
JAMB initially launched the service with WAEC results, allowing the board to verify candidates’ credentials directly with the examination body.
WAEC has now authorised JAMB to transmit verification outcomes to the relevant tertiary institutions. This means candidates who have successfully completed the verification exercise will not be required to repeat the process for the same admission exercise.
The agencies said the arrangement was designed to address the financial and logistical difficulties candidates face when institutions require separate verification exercises.
It is also expected to reduce repeated visits to tertiary institutions and CBT centres, while making the admission process more efficient and secure.
The collaboration is aimed at strengthening the credibility of academic records and reducing the risk of candidates submitting fake or altered certificates during admission screening.
JAMB and WAEC urged candidates to complete their WASSCE O’Level verification through the approved JAMB platform and keep their verification details for use during the admission process.
The clarification means that the N4,000 charge is a one-off payment, rather than a recurring fee or a charge that candidates must pay separately to each institution.
Previously, O’Level verification could involve several processes, with candidates uploading results to JAMB while individual institutions sometimes required additional screening and document verification. WAEC also maintained its own verification system, potentially resulting in repeated checks of the same academic credentials.
The new system seeks to centralise the process under a “one verification, multiple uses” model, with the verified WASSCE result made available to the appropriate tertiary institution.
The two examination bodies said the initiative would help reduce costs, simplify admission procedures and minimise the stress associated with repeated verification exercises for candidates.
Source: PUNCH
