JAMB, WAEC, and admissions guides for Nigerian students
JAMB CBT Centres 2026: Accredited List and How to Choose
JAMB published its 2026 accredited CBT centre list in early January 2026, ahead of registration opening in mid-January. The list is on jamb.gov.ng, searchable by state and local government area, and is the authoritative reference for where you can legally register and sit JAMB UTME. A centre not on the 2026 list is not accredited for the 2026 cycle, regardless of how active it was in earlier years.
Last updated: May 2026 Choosing the right CBT centre matters more than most candidates realise. The centre is your first point of contact with JAMB, your venue for biometric capture, and often (though not always) your venue for the UTME itself. A poorly run centre slows your registration, creates biometric errors that resurface during the exam, and in the worst cases is dropped from accreditation mid-cycle, voiding any registration done there. This guide covers how JAMB accredits centres, where to find the 2026 list, the practical checks before paying, the red flags to walk away from, and what to do if your registration centre is downgraded after you registered.
The same advice applies to the 2027 cycle and beyond. JAMB updates the accredited list each year; check the current year’s list, not last year’s.
How JAMB accredits CBT centres
JAMB accredits CBT centres on three broad criteria: equipment, security, and history. The centre must have a minimum number of networked terminals (varies by state but typically 40 or more), reliable power (a generator and an inverter system), reliable internet, and dedicated biometric capture stations.
Security includes the physical layout (a controlled entrance, room for queueing, CCTV coverage of the hall), staff training, and a clean record on malpractice. A centre flagged for malpractice in previous cycles is at high risk of being dropped from the list.
History is the third leg. JAMB looks at the centre’s performance in past cycles, candidate complaints, technical incidents, and how the centre handled issues that arose. New centres are subject to a more rigorous vetting, while established centres with a clean record are renewed annually.
The full criteria are published in JAMB’s CBT centre accreditation guidelines. JAMB conducts physical inspections each year before publishing the list.
Where to find the 2026 accredited list
The 2026 list is on jamb.gov.ng under the “CBT Centres” or “Approved Centres” section. The list is searchable by state and by local government area; click into a state to see the centres in that state with their addresses and contact details.
The list is published as both a web-searchable database and a downloadable PDF. Check both; sometimes the web version updates more frequently than the PDF.
Each centre’s entry on the list includes the centre name, address, contact phone, and approved capacity. Save the entry of any centre you plan to use; if you need to query the centre’s billing or service, the JAMB-listed contact is your reference.
Avoid getting the centre information from random blogs or WhatsApp groups; the JAMB-published list is the only authoritative source, and unofficial lists sometimes carry centres that have already been dropped.
How to choose a good CBT centre
Once you have the list of accredited centres in your area, apply the practical checks below to narrow down.
Proximity. Pick a centre you can reach in 30 to 60 minutes from home. Long-distance commutes increase the risk of arriving late on exam day.
Capacity and crowd. Larger centres handle more candidates faster on registration day; smaller centres have less waiting but may close enrolment earlier. Ask the centre how many candidates they handled last cycle.
Reputation. Talk to candidates from your school or community who used the centre last year. Their experience tells you more than the centre’s own marketing.
Fee transparency. A good centre publishes its service fee openly and does not haggle. Service fee should be ₦500 to ₦1,500 on top of the JAMB ₦7,200. Anything well above ₦2,000 is overcharging.
Staff manner. Visit the centre before registration. Friendly, organised staff and a clear queueing system are good signs. Hostile or chaotic staff are bad signs.
Cleanliness and power. Look at the hall, the seats, the air conditioning, and the generator. A centre with a broken AC and dim lighting will be miserable for biometric capture.
Red flags: centres to avoid
A handful of centre behaviours should send you walking out the door.
Centres asking for double or triple the JAMB fee. A centre asking ₦15,000 or ₦20,000 when JAMB charges ₦7,200 is overcharging. Report to the JAMB state office.
Centres that promise “guaranteed high scores”. JAMB is the exam; no centre can guarantee your score. Anyone making this promise is committing fraud and you should walk away.
Centres offering “JAMB runs” or “expo”. No legitimate centre offers any such thing. JAMB does not sell answers; anyone claiming to is at best a scammer and at worst running a malpractice operation that will get your record cancelled.
Centres not on the JAMB list. If you cannot find the centre in the JAMB-published list, do not register there. Unaccredited registrations are voided.
Centres pressuring you to register before checking the brochure. A good centre lets you check the JAMB brochure for your subject combination before paying. A bad centre rushes you through. Take your time.
Centres that hold your credentials hostage. Some centres ask for your JAMB profile password “to help register”. Never share your password. The centre operator does not need your password to do their job.
What to do if your centre is downgraded mid-cycle
Occasionally JAMB drops a centre from its accredited list after registration has already begun. This happens when the centre is found to have violated standards or been involved in malpractice. Candidates who registered there are notified by JAMB through SMS and email, with an explanation of what happens next.
The standard remedy is reassignment to a different accredited centre in the same state, at no extra cost to the candidate. The JAMB state office handles the reassignment; visit them with your e-PIN receipt and the original registration confirmation.
If you registered at a downgraded centre and never received an SMS, follow up with the JAMB state office directly. Do not wait for the centre to communicate; downgraded centres rarely cooperate with the transition.
Your registration data (NIN, profile, subject combination, school choices) follows you to the new centre. Only the biometric capture may need to be redone if the original centre’s records cannot be verified.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official 2026 JAMB CBT centre list?
The list is on jamb.gov.ng under the “CBT Centres” or “Approved Centres” section. It is searchable by state and by LGA, with each centre’s full address and contact details. JAMB publishes the list in early January before registration opens. Avoid unofficial lists circulating on social media; only the JAMB-published version is binding.
How much should a CBT centre charge above the JAMB fee?
JAMB sets the official UTME fee at ₦7,200. Centres charge a small service fee for biometrics capture and slip printing, typically between ₦500 and ₦1,500. Anything well above ₦2,000 is overcharging; some urban centres have been reported charging ₦4,000 to ₦5,000, which JAMB has publicly told candidates to refuse. If a centre insists on an inflated fee, walk out and report the centre to your state JAMB office.
Can I register at one centre and write the exam at another?
Yes. JAMB allocates exam centres based on capacity and proximity, and the allocation may not be the same as your registration centre. Many candidates register at a busy centre with a good reputation and are then allocated a quieter centre for the exam itself. The exam centre allocation appears on your printed exam slip about two weeks before the exam. Confirm the centre address and visit the location before exam day if it is unfamiliar.
What happens if my chosen centre is dropped from accreditation?
JAMB reassigns affected candidates to a different accredited centre in the same state, at no extra cost. You are notified by SMS and email. Visit your state JAMB office with your e-PIN receipt and the original registration confirmation; the office handles the reassignment. Your registration data (NIN, subject combination, school choices) follows you to the new centre, and your e-PIN remains valid.
Are some centres better than others for actual performance?
Not in terms of the exam content; every candidate writes the same JAMB questions regardless of centre. But centres differ in the environment they provide: temperature control, terminal reliability, network stability, supervisor responsiveness when something goes wrong. A poorly run centre can cause technical interruptions that cost you minutes on the timer or, in extreme cases, force a re-sit. Choose a centre with a reputation for smooth running, especially if you can afford a slightly longer commute for it.
Can a school act as a CBT centre?
Yes, many accredited CBT centres are owned by schools (especially universities and polytechnics) and rented out to JAMB for the exam period. School-owned centres typically have stronger infrastructure (regular power, institutional internet) and more discipline, which can make them a good choice. The school does not get any inside information about the exam; the JAMB system is the same regardless of who owns the centre. Confirm the school-owned centre is on the JAMB accredited list before registering there.
Lagos-based education writer covering JAMB, WAEC and NECO, and tertiary admissions across Nigeria. Chinedu tracks cut-off marks, admission lists, and school portal updates so students and parents do not have to.
