WASSCE verification: JAMB, WAEC fix N4,000 one-off fee

The two bodies said candidates would not be required to make additional payments to their preferred institutions for the verification of the same results.

The clarification followed consultations between JAMB and WAEC over the recently introduced system through which candidates can upload and verify their O’Level results remotely.

Under the arrangement, candidates whose admissions are coordinated through JAMB are expected to complete the verification of their WAEC results once via the board’s Verification Service platform.

The verified outcome will subsequently be transmitted to the tertiary institution concerned for admission screening and other administrative purposes.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, JAMB and WAEC stressed that institutions must rely on the verified results transmitted by JAMB rather than subjecting candidates to another paid verification exercise.

“Candidates are to pay N4,000 only, once, for the verification of their WASSCE O’ Level results on the specified platform and not through their desired institutions,” the agencies stated.

They added that tertiary institutions were to use the verified results supplied by JAMB for screening, admission processing and other legitimate administrative purposes.

“Candidates shall not be required to pay for another verification,” the statement added.

The development followed JAMB’s introduction of a technology-driven system that allows candidates to upload and verify their O’Level results from home or any location with internet access.

The initiative removes the need for candidates to routinely visit JAMB-approved Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres solely to complete the verification exercise.

JAMB had said the new service initially commenced with WAEC results and was designed to enable the board to authenticate candidates’ academic records directly with the examination body.

They noted that candidates who had already verified their WASSCE O’Level results through the approved platform would not be required to repeat the exercise.

“Candidates who have successfully verified their WASSCE O’ Level result through the Verification Service platform will not be required to repeat the same verification exercise,” they said.

The one-off payment is therefore not an annual charge or a fee payable separately to each institution to which a candidate applies.

Instead, the N4,000 covers the verification exercise conducted through JAMB, with the resulting verification outcome available for use by the relevant institution.

The new arrangement is expected to ease the financial burden on admission seekers, particularly those who previously faced additional verification requirements from individual institutions.

Before the latest policy, O’Level result verification involved several processes, with candidates uploading their WAEC, NECO and other recognised O’Level results through approved channels while individual institutions could impose separate screening and document-verification requirements.

WAEC also maintained its own result-verification mechanism, potentially exposing candidates to repeated checks of academic credentials submitted during the admission process.

JAMB and WAEC said the new centralised system was intended to eliminate such duplication, reduce unnecessary movement between institutions and CBT centres, and strengthen the integrity of academic records.

The initiative is part of efforts to simplify admission procedures, reduce costs and minimise the logistical challenges faced by candidates during the admission process.

WAEC has also authorised JAMB to transmit verification outcomes to the relevant tertiary institutions.

According to the joint statement, “WAEC has agreed to permit JAMB to share the outcome of the verification exercise with the relevant tertiary institutions” for admission and related administrative purposes.

The agencies said the arrangement would prevent candidates from being subjected to multiple verification exercises after successfully completing the process through JAMB.

They also said the collaboration would help curb the use of fake or altered academic credentials in the tertiary admission process.

“This collaboration underscores the commitment of both JAMB and WAEC to putting the interests of candidates first, reducing unnecessary costs and simplifying the admission process while maintaining the integrity and security of candidates’ academic records,” the statement said.

The agencies advised candidates to complete their verification through the designated JAMB platform and retain their verification details for use during the admission process.

With the latest clarification, the new system effectively operates on a “one verification, multiple uses” basis, allowing candidates to pay once while their verified WASSCE results are made available to the relevant institution for admission-related purposes.