Contributor: Blessing Jackson
Dept: law student University of calabar (Jupeb candidate 2024)
Post date: March 15, 2025
I've been invited by a friend of mine on Facebook to share my JUPEB CRS experience, especially after I posted on Facebook group with a proof about scoring 16 points last year. 93% specially on CRS.
The Reality Check Nobody Talks About
Let me be real with you – JUPEB CRS isn't your typical Sunday school quiz. I remember thinking I could coast through because I'd been in church my whole life. Boy, was I wrong! The examiners expect you to think critically, not just recite Bible verses. They want analysis, not just memorization.
The Topics That Keep Coming Back (And Why You Should Care)
So after going through papers from 2019 to 2024, I noticed some topics are basically guaranteed to show up. It's like the examiners have their favorites. The topics include:
Biblical Inspiration – This one's been on repeat since 2020, and guess what? It showed up again in 2024. If you're preparing for 2025, you'd be nice to master this topic. (Verbal, Dynamic, Partial, Neo-Orthodox) and it paid off big time.
Church Proliferation in Nigeria – Honestly, this topic has appeared three years running. It's clearly something the examiners think is crucial for understanding Christianity in our context. I used to think it was just about counting churches, but there's so much more depth to it.
Gospel Characteristics – They've systematically covered Luke (2020), Matthew (2022), and Mark (2023). My guess? John's Gospel is coming up in 2025. Just saying, I'm not a prophet non oracle but statistics barely lie.
My Study Strategy (The One That Actually Worked)
I tried the "study everything equally" approach first. Total disaster, however, what works for me might not work exactly for everyone. Then I got smart about it
Week 1-2: Master the Guaranteed Topics
I focused intensely on Biblical Inspiration, making sure I could explain each theory and give examples. This alone probably secured me 30 marks across different papers.
Week 3-4: Tackle the High-Probability Ones
Kingdom division, exile, gospel backgrounds – these show up in different forms but the core knowledge is the same.
Week 5-6: Fill in the Gaps
Contemporary issues, West African Christianity, ethics – important but not as predictable.
Week 7-8: Practice and Polish
Past questions, timing, answer techniques.
Though I submitted this article almost at the bending corner of the jupeb examination, it what having a clue specially for sequence students.
The Mistakes I Made (So You Don't Have To)
Mistake 1: Treating it like a memory test
I used to just cram facts but immediately the first semester results was published, I knew I was on a Wrong move. JUPEB wants you to analyze, evaluate, and apply. When they ask about religious tolerance, they don't just want definitions – they want solutions for Nigeria's specific context.
Mistake 2: Ignoring contemporary relevance.
Everything connects to modern Nigeria. Kingdom division? Link it to current leadership challenges. Exile? Discuss displacement issues today. The examiners love students who can bridge historical and contemporary contexts. It's doesn't require WAEC and NECO method of answering theory.
Mistake 3: Weak definitions.
I can't stress this enough – nail your definitions. So many questions start with "Define..." or "What do you understand by...". Get these wrong, and you're already behind.
What I'm Seeing for 2025 (My Honest Jupeb questions Predictions)
Look, I'm not claiming to be a prophet here ooh, but patterns are patterns: base on my intense, I have provided some possible jupeb questions for 2025. Certainly, these questions doesn't come exact but the angles cannot be missed. Each of the topics I mention below appears more than once. I have also summit a detailed analysis to the admin of this site (FreshNote) you may check out later.
Almost Certain:
- Biblical Inspiration (third time's the charm?)
- John's Gospel characteristics (completing the Synoptic coverage)
- Church proliferation (it's basically become an annual tradition)
- Religious tolerance/intolerance (Nigeria's reality)
Very Likely:
- Early Christian church expansion
- Nigerian Pentecostalism
- Prophetic ministry relevance
- Religion and social media (it's 2025, people!)
Worth Preparing:
- Interfaith dialogue
- Youth and religion
- Missionary education impact
The Resources That Actually Helped
Books:
- Adeyemo's "Africa Bible Commentary" (lifesaver for contextual understanding)
- Drane's "Introducing the New Testament" (clear, concise)
- Local church history books (know your Nigerian context)
Online:
- BiblicalTraining.org (free courses)
- YouTube lectures (filter carefully – some are rubbish)
- Past question banks (practice makes perfect)
👏A big applause to the admin of this site, why? When I was traversing through the site, I noticed he/she has made an Android app that covers Jupeb church history, past questions and answers (to my surprise, the app is 100% free). Unlike in 2024, I bought Jupeb past questions and answers almost 15,000 naira and I was looking around where to get church history.
My Final Advice
Don't try to be perfect. I spent too much time trying to master everything and almost missed the important stuff. Focus on the high-probability topics, understand the patterns, and practice your answer techniques.
Also, manage your time during the exam. I almost ran out of time in Paper 3 because I spent too long on one question. Each mark should take you roughly one minute – do the math.
And please, please connect everything to Nigeria. The examiners want to see that you understand Christianity in our context, not just abstract theology.
Questions you might ask in the comment section.
Q: Should I focus only on predicted topics?
A: No! But prioritize them. Spend 70% of your time on high-probability topics, 30% on others.
Q: How do I handle contemporary issues?
A: Read newspapers, follow religious news, understand current debates. But always present balanced, Christian perspectives.
Q: Is it worth studying non-Christian religions?
A: probably Yes, for the Religion and Society paper. Interfaith dialogue is becoming increasingly important.
Before I round up, let me runs through Jupeb grading scale.
School like university of calabar often organizes orientation for candidates about jupeb grading system and so on. But I don't know about after schools, so, it worth sharing it generally.
JUPEB uses a 5-point grading scale similar to most Nigerian university systems. Candidates with good performance (without F) are given extra one point.
Let's say you score A on government, A On CRS and B on literature, that is a total of 14 points. Then you will be awarded 1 extra point making it a total of 15 points. That's 5+5+4+1=15
A (5.0): 70-100% - Excellent performance
B (4.0): 60-69% - Very good performance
-C (3.0): 50-59% - Good performance
D (2.0): 45-49% - Fair performance (Pass)
F (0.0): 0-44% - Fail
CGPA Calculation
Your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is calculated by:
- Adding all grade points earned
- Dividing by total number of courses
- Each subject carries equal weight.
Wrapping Up
JUPEB CRS is challenging, but it's not impossible. The key is working smart, not just hard. Understand the patterns, focus on high-yield topics, and always connect to contemporary Nigeria.
I know this is a lot to take in, but you've got this! Hit me up in the comments if you have specific questions – I try to respond to everyone.
Good luck, and may your efforts be blessed!