WAEC and NECO Fees: How to Tell If Your Child's School Is Overcharging You

Every year, around registration time, parents get a bill from school for WAEC or NECO. And every year, many of us pay it without asking a single question. Let's change that.

What the exams really cost

For 2026, the official fees reported were about ₦27,500 for WAEC and ₦30,000 for NECO.

You may have heard about ₦50,000. In June 2026, the government approved raising the fee to ₦50,000 for 2027. People complained loudly, and in July 2026 the government suspended that plan. So for now, the old fees still stand. Always check the latest fee with WAEC or NECO before you pay.

Here's a surprise, from our own sums. Compared with wages, WAEC has actually become cheaper. In 2022, the fee was ₦18,000, which was 60% of the ₦30,000 minimum wage then. Today's ₦27,500 is 39% of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. In dollars, it fell from about $43 to about $20.

What some schools charge

Now compare that with what some schools ask for. In December 2025, Benue State's exams board ordered Jewel Model School in Makurdi to reverse a ₦106,000 charge for WAEC and NECO. The approved WAEC fee was ₦28,000, and schools could add a handling charge of no more than ₦5,000.

By our sum, that school charged 3.2 times the most it was allowed. That's a month and a half of minimum wage, for one child.

This isn't new. Back in 2023, a WAEC official said this to ThisDay newspaper:

"We are aware that schools charge as high as N90,000." Moyosola Adeyegbe, WAEC, 2023

And in October 2026, WAEC's head of office in Nigeria said it again:

"schools have been charging more than the examination fee" Suleiman Kum, WAEC, October 2026

Is every extra charge wrong?

No. Some schools do have real costs around the exam. In 2023, schools told ThisDay they spend on extra lessons, invigilators and security, laboratory materials for practicals, and transport and feeding for staff on exam days.

The problem isn't extra costs. The problem is hiding them inside one big number and telling parents to just pay. Benue's exams board said it clearly:

"Registration for WAEC and NECO is optional, not compulsory." Dr Terna Francis, Benue exams board, December 2025

He also said any extra costs must be discussed openly and agreed with parents, not forced on them.

Do the sum before you pay

If your child is writing both WAEC and NECO, the official fees together come to about ₦57,500 at 2026 prices. By our sum, that's about 82% of a month's minimum wage. Add JAMB's ₦7,200 and you're at ₦64,700, which is 92%.

So if a school's total is far above that, it's fair to ask why.

Four questions to ask the school

1. "Please can I see the breakdown?" Ask how much is the WAEC or NECO fee itself, and what the rest is for. A good school can tell you.
2. "Is this part optional?" Extra lessons or materials may be useful, but you should be able to choose.
3. "Can I get a receipt?" Keep it. It protects you if there's a problem later.
4. "Does my child have to register through the school?" Some students register as private candidates instead. Find out your options.

If you think you're being cheated

Speak to the school calmly first, with your questions written down. If that doesn't work, take it further. Benue's board acted after parents complained. A Lagos education official told parents in 2023:

"The parents should call out those schools and let WAEC intervene" Ganiu Lawal, Lagos Ministry of Education, 2023

You can also contact your state's education quality assurance office or Ministry of Education.

Asking questions isn't rude. It's your money and your child's future.

If you'd like to keep an eye on how your child is preparing, Scholarleveling gives parents a code to see how their child is doing every week, with no account to create.

Read next: how to cut school costs without hurting learning, or getting through JAMB, WAEC and NECO without burning out.