Yomi BlackOn this page
IJMB is the Interim Joint Matriculation Board, an A level programme run by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Like JUPEB, it takes about one academic session, you study three subjects at an accredited study centre, and the result gets you into a degree at 200 level through JAMB Direct Entry. Unlike JUPEB, it also offers O level papers you can use to repair a credit deficiency at the same time.
The grading claim you will see everywhere is falseAgent sites routinely claim that one of IJMB and JUPEB scores more generously than the other. The two points systems are identical. Both run A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, F=0 across three subjects, both award one bonus point for passing all three at E or better, and both have a maximum of 16. There is no scoring advantage either way. Choose on acceptance and cost, not on a points myth.
- Official site
- ijmb.abu.edu.ng. Everything else is an agent site
- Run by
- Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
- What it gets you
- Direct Entry admission at 200 level
- Duration
- About one academic session
- Where you register
- At an ABU-accredited study centre
- Subjects
- 3 at A level, plus optional O level papers
- Grading
- A=5 down to F=0, plus 1 bonus point. Maximum 16
- Strongest acceptance
- Northern federal and state universities, including ABU itself
The official grading table
IJMB publishes its A level grading on its own site, which makes it better documented than most of the rest of the programme.
| Marks | Grade | Points | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 and above | A | 5 | Excellent |
| 60 to 69 | B | 4 | Very good |
| 50 to 59 | C | 3 | Good |
| 45 to 49 | D | 2 | Merit |
| 40 to 44 | E | 1 | Pass |
| 0 to 39 | F | 0 | Fail |
A flaw in the official O level tableIJMB’s published O level scale reads A at 70 and above, C as Credit at 40 to 69, P as Pass at 34 to 35, and F as Fail at 0 to 34. That table is internally inconsistent: marks from 36 to 39 fall into no band at all, and 34 appears in two bands at once. We reproduce it because it is what the board publishes, and we flag it because you should not plan around it. Ask your centre to confirm the O level bands in writing.
The O level papers are IJMB’s real advantage
IJMB runs separate O level papers, including English and Mathematics, which exist specifically so candidates can fix credit deficiencies while doing the A level year.
JUPEB has no equivalent. For a candidate who is missing a credit in English or Mathematics and wants Direct Entry, that single feature can be decisive: it collapses two problems into one year instead of forcing a separate WAEC GCE or NECO GCE sitting alongside.
Subjects offered
| Track | Subjects |
|---|---|
| Sciences | Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Advanced Level Mathematics, Geology |
| Arts and Social Sciences | Accounting, Business Management, Economics, Geography, Government, Literature-in-English, Sociology, Christian Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Arabic, Hausa |
What IJMB costs
ABU publishes no candidate fee schedule. Every naira figure in circulation comes from centre and agent sites.
The commonly quoted structure is ₦8,750 registration, ₦30,000 acceptance and tuition between ₦190,000 and ₦300,000, giving roughly ₦228,750 to ₦338,750 all in. At the lower end that is cheaper than JUPEB. We publish it with the clear warning that none of it is verifiable against ABU.
As with JUPEB, the JAMB Direct Entry ePIN at ₦5,700 is a separate and compulsory cost on top.
IJMB or JUPEB? The decision, stripped down
| JUPEB | IJMB | |
|---|---|---|
| Points system | Max 16 with bonus | Max 16 with bonus. Identical |
| Duration | One session | One session |
| Documented acceptance | 10 partner plus 97 affiliate universities, published | No published list. Strongest in the north |
| Governance | Standalone federal board with a public transparency layer | A unit inside one university, minimal public documentation |
| Typical cost | ₦200,000 to ₦600,000 | Around ₦230,000 to ₦340,000, unverified |
| O level remedial papers | No | Yes |
| Result validity | Three admission years | Not published |
The honest summary: JUPEB is the safer default, because it publishes its subjects, its universities, its validity period and its result checker, and you can verify a centre against the board’s own list. IJMB is a reasonable choice if you are aiming at a northern university, if you need the O level papers, or if a specific accredited centre near you is strong.
What should not decide it is a points advantage, because there is not one.
Sources
- IJMB examination grading, ijmb.abu.edu.ng/exam-grading.html. A level and O level grade bands, points, and the bonus point rule, quoted from the board.
- IJMB Secretariat, Institute of Education, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Programme administration and centre accreditation requirements.
- JUPEB FAQ, jupeb.edu.ng/faq. Used for the side-by-side points and validity comparison.
- Subject lists and all naira figures are secondary-sourced from centre and agent sites. ABU publishes neither.
IJMB is poorly documented publicly and most search results for it are agent-authored. Verify any centre directly with the IJMB Secretariat at ABU before paying. Reviewed twice a year.