The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to adopt a cashless policy in its registration process beginning with the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

With the adoption of the new system, JAMB would be collecting the approved N700 registration fee on behalf of the various Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres along with its UTME registration fees.

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In its weekly bulletin, issued on Monday and obtained by LEADERSHIP, the examination body said the money due to each registration centre would be remitted to relevant bank accounts on a weekly basis or any timeframe acceptable to the centre owners.

JAMB said its decision to go cashless in the UTME registration exercise would put an end to some of the fraudulent activities of some CBT centres, who charge candidates above stipulated fee.

“This laudable step was borne out of a painstaking review of the entire UTME registration process which has revealed some unethical and unacceptable practices by many Computer-Based Testing (CBT) centres.

“It is to be noted that these centres are allowed to collect only seven hundred naira (N700) as registration charges but some fraudulent centre owners misused that opportunity to engage in conduct unbecoming of respectable establishments as they indulge in massive extortion of candidates, among others, during the exercise.

“Consequently, the Board has resolved to henceforth make the UTME registration process cashless to put a stop to such acts of extortion. This intervention will block all loopholes through which hapless candidates are extorted by unconscionable service providers.

“This process will not, in any way, increase the cost of UTME registration which remains as it was in the previous year. As such, it is only the process of payment that has changed, not the cost,” it added.

Meanwhile, UTME candidates can now pick Computer Studies or Physical and Health Education as part of their four UTME subjects if they so desire or as dictated by their programme preferences, the Board has said.

JAMB said this was made possible following the addition of the two subjects to the existing 23 UTME subjects to make them 25 beginning from the 2022 UTME exercise.

“This addition is to enhance the career prospects of students transiting to tertiary institutions. At present, the 23 UTME subjects are; Agricultural Science, Arabic, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Christian Religious Studies, Commerce, Economics, French, Geography, Government, Hausa, History, Home Economics, Igbo, Islamic Studies, Literature in-English, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Use of English and Yoruba,” it added.