diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/certificates/pages/CertificatesPage.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/certificates/pages/CertificatesPage.tsx
index 93814873e..360f5ef2d 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/certificates/pages/CertificatesPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/certificates/pages/CertificatesPage.tsx
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ const STATUS_COLOR: Record<string, string> = {
  * keys because this page states its statuses the same way.
  */
 const EXAM_STAGE_LABELS: Record<string, string> = {
-  ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER: 'Eligible — Register for a Sitting',
+  EXAM_PAID: 'Exam Paid',
   REGISTERED: 'Exam Scheduled',
   ATTENDANCE_CONFIRMED: 'Exam Attendance Confirmed',
   SITTING: 'Exam In Progress',
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.spec.ts b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.spec.ts
index 22ec0deca..2003537e9 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.spec.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ describe('examStageFor', () => {
     expect(examStageFor({ status: 'CERTIFICATE_ISSUED' })).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it('reads a paid application as eligible to register, not as waiting', () => {
-    expect(examStageFor({ status: 'EXAM_PAID' })).toBe('ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER');
+  it('reads a paid application as Exam Paid, not as awaiting a date', () => {
+    expect(examStageFor({ status: 'EXAM_PAID' })).toBe('EXAM_PAID');
   });
 
   it('reports a registration whose attendance has not been taken', () => {
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.ts b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.ts
index c7aaaaaec..1697f7c4b 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.ts
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/exam-stage.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import type { MyRegistration } from '../exams/pages/ExamsPage';
  * already recorded — this only names what the records add up to.
  */
 export type ExamStage =
-  | 'ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER'
+  | 'EXAM_PAID'
   | 'REGISTERED'
   | 'ATTENDANCE_CONFIRMED'
   | 'SITTING'
@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ export function examStageFor(
   if (app.status === 'EXAM_PASSED') return 'PASSED';
   if (app.status === 'EXAM_FAILED') return 'FAILED';
 
-  // EXAM_PAID is "prerequisites done, sitting not yet chosen": the fee has
-  // cleared and nothing is left but for the candidate to pick a session.
-  if (app.status === 'EXAM_PAID') return 'ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER';
+  // The fee has cleared and nothing is left but for the candidate to pick a
+  // session. Named after the status rather than after what the candidate
+  // should do next: "Eligible to Register" read as a status of its own and
+  // said less than the plain one.
+  if (app.status === 'EXAM_PAID') return 'EXAM_PAID';
 
   if (app.status !== 'EXAM_SCHEDULED') return null;
 
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts b/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
index be22f0b46..db485310f 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/am.ts
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ export const am: Translations = {
       empty: 'እስካሁን ምንም ፍቃድ አልተሰጥዎትም። ማመልከቻ ከተፈቀደና ከተከፈለ በኋላ እዚህ ይታያል።',
     },
     examStage: {
-      ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER: "ብቁ ነዎት — ለፈተና ይመዝገቡ",
+      EXAM_PAID: "የፈተና ክፍያ ተከፍሏል",
       REGISTERED: "የፈተና ቀን፦ {{date}}",
       ATTENDANCE_CONFIRMED: "መገኘት ተረጋግጧል",
       SITTING: "ፈተና በመካሄድ ላይ",
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts b/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
index ac1925ca9..ce8de654f 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/i18n/locales/en.ts
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ export const en = {
      * from the application status alone — see exam-stage.ts.
      */
     examStage: {
-      ELIGIBLE_TO_REGISTER: 'Eligible — register for a sitting',
+      EXAM_PAID: 'Exam Paid',
       REGISTERED: 'Exam scheduled: {{date}}',
       ATTENDANCE_CONFIRMED: 'Attendance confirmed',
       SITTING: 'Exam in progress',