The Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) has released the proposed timetable for the 2025 examinations, to be conducted at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. If you are sitting any IJMB paper this year, here is everything you need to know — date by date, session by session. After knowing the date of your exam, the next thing is to start revising all you read. Practise IJMB past questions and answers online here
Tuesday, 17th June 2025
The exams begin on Tuesday. In the morning session (8.30 – 11.30 a.m.), candidates will write Biology I (Paper 1) and Literature III (Paper 2). The afternoon session (2.30 – 5.30 p.m.) covers A/L Mathematics I (Paper 3), Sociology I (Paper 4), and CRS I (Paper 5).
Wednesday, 18th June 2025
The morning session (8.30 – 11.30 a.m.) holds Physics I (Paper 6), Business Management I (Paper 7), and C.R.S II (Paper 8). In the afternoon (2.30 – 5.30 p.m.), candidates will write Arabic I (Paper 9), Accounting II (Paper 10), and Geology I (Paper 11).
Thursday, 19th June 2025
Morning papers are Chemistry IIIA (Paper 12) from 8.30 – 11.00 a.m. and History III (Paper 13) from 8.30 – 11.30 a.m. The afternoon brings Chemistry IIIB (Paper 14) from 12.30 – 3.00 p.m. and Sociology II (Paper 15) from 2.30 – 5.30 p.m.
Friday, 20th June 2025
Three papers run in the morning (8.30 – 11.30 a.m.): Geology III (Paper 16), Economics I (Paper 17), and Islamic Studies III (Paper 18). Note that Geology III ends at 11.00 a.m. The afternoon session (3.00 – 6.00 p.m.) covers Geography II (Paper 19), Arabic III (Paper 20), and C.R.S III (Paper 21).
Saturday, 21st June 2025
Morning candidates write Literature II (Paper 22) and Chemistry I (Paper 23), both from 8.30 – 11.30 a.m. The afternoon (2.30 – 5.30 p.m.) covers Economics III (Paper 24) and Islamic Studies I (Paper 25).
Monday, 23rd June 2025
In the morning, O/L Mathematics II (Paper 26) runs from 8.30 – 11.00 a.m. and A/L Mathematics II (Paper 27) from 8.30 – 11.30 a.m. The afternoon has three papers: O/L Mathematics I (Paper 28) from 12.30 – 2.00 p.m., Geography I (Paper 29) and Arabic II (Paper 30) both from 2.30 – 5.30 p.m.
Tuesday, 24th June 2025
Morning papers are Physics IIIA (Paper 31) from 8.30 – 11.00 a.m. and History II (Paper 32) from 8.30 – 11.30 a.m. The afternoon holds Physics IIIB (Paper 33) from 12.30 – 3.00 p.m. and Government I (Paper 34) from 2.30 – 5.30 p.m.
Wednesday, 25th June 2025
The morning session (8.30 – 11.30 a.m.) covers A/L Mathematics III (Paper 35) and Hausa I — Objective (Paper 36). In the afternoon (2.30 – 5.30 p.m.), candidates write Government II (Paper 37) and Biology II (Paper 38).
Thursday, 26th June 2025
Morning papers are Biology IIIA (Paper 39) from 8.30 – 11.00 a.m. and Literature I (Paper 40) from 8.30 – 11.30 a.m. The afternoon brings Biology IIIB (Paper 41) from 12.30 – 3.00 p.m. and Hausa III (Paper 42) from 2.30 – 5.30 p.m.
Friday, 27th June 2025
Three papers hold in the morning (8.30 – 11.30 a.m.): Physics II (Paper 43), History I (Paper 44), and Accounting I (Paper 45). The afternoon session (3.00 – 6.00 p.m.) covers Geology II (Paper 46), Economics II (Paper 47), and Hausa II (Paper 48).
Saturday, 28th June 2025
The final day. Three morning papers run from 12.00 – 3.00 p.m.: Chemistry II (Paper 49), Business Management II (Paper 50), and Islamic Studies II (Paper 51). To close the exams, the afternoon session holds O/L English II (Paper 52) from 3.00 – 5.30 p.m. and O/L English I — Objective (Paper 53) from 5.30 – 6.30 p.m.
Important Reminders
The morning session runs generally from 8.30 a.m. to between 11.00 and 12.00 noon depending on the paper. The afternoon session begins as early as 12.30 p.m. for some papers and runs as late as 6.30 p.m. on the final day. Candidates are advised to confirm their specific paper numbers and report to the examination hall at least 30 minutes before commencement. Keep this timetable handy and plan your revision accordingly.
How to Use FreshNote IJMB Past Questions and Answers for Effective Exam Preparation
With the 2025 IJMB examination dates now confirmed, the window for serious preparation is open. Every candidate who has passed through this programme will tell you the same thing: past questions are not optional — they are the preparation. This article walks you through exactly how to use the FreshNote IJMB past questions and answers to maximise your performance across every subject.
Why Past Questions Work
The IJMB examination follows a consistent pattern year after year. The same topics recur, the same question styles repeat, and the same marking expectations apply. When you study with past questions, you are not guessing what the examiners want — you are learning it directly from the evidence. FreshNote's IJMB past questions and worked answers give you access to that evidence in an organised, subject-by-subject format so you can study smarter, not just harder.
How to Use FreshNote IJMB Past Questions
Start with your weakest subject. Do not begin with what you already know. Open the FreshNote material for the subject that worries you most and read through the questions from the earliest available year. Do not attempt to answer yet — just read. Familiarise yourself with how questions are worded, what topics come up most, and how much detail is expected.
Attempt questions before reading the answers. This is the most important rule. Write out your own answer first, no matter how incomplete it feels. Then compare it with the worked solution provided. The gap between your answer and the model answer tells you exactly what to study next. Candidates who read answers without attempting questions first are only memorising — not learning.
Work year by year, not topic by topic. Rather than gathering all Chemistry questions on a single topic, sit a full past paper from one year as if it were the real exam. Time yourself. This builds the stamina and mental organisation the exam actually requires.
Use the worked answers to understand structure, not just content. The answers in FreshNote materials are not just correct — they are correctly formatted. Study how points are sequenced, where definitions appear, where examples are placed, and how conclusions are drawn. The structure of a good answer is itself something you must learn.
Repeat each paper at least twice. The first attempt shows you your gaps. The second attempt, done one or two weeks later, confirms whether you have genuinely closed them. If you are still making the same errors on the second attempt, that topic needs dedicated attention before exam day.
How to Structure Your Answers
One of the most common reasons IJMB candidates lose marks is not ignorance — it is poor answer structure. An examiner marking hundreds of scripts rewards clarity, logical flow, and completeness. Here is the structure that works:
For essay and theory questions:
Begin with a direct opening sentence that answers the question immediately. Do not write a lengthy introduction that delays your main point. State your position or definition in the first two lines.
Follow with your main body. Each paragraph should make one clear point, explain it, and where applicable, support it with an example, a formula, a case, or a fact. Avoid writing long blocks of continuous prose with no visible organisation — use paragraphs deliberately.
End with a brief conclusion that summarises your answer without simply repeating it word for word. One to three sentences is enough.
For short-answer and objective questions:
Read the question twice before answering. Many marks are lost by candidates who answer a related question rather than the actual one asked. Identify the command word — define, explain, calculate, state, describe — and let it govern how much you write and in what form.
For calculation-based questions (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Accounting):
Always show your working. A correct final answer with no working shown may receive partial or no credit if the examiner cannot follow your method. Set out each step on a new line. State the formula you are using before substituting values. Include units in your final answer.
How to Answer Questions Under Exam Conditions
Read the entire question paper first. Spend the first three to five minutes reading every question before writing a single word. This gives you a clear picture of the full paper and allows you to start mentally organising your answers.
Answer what you know first. Do not spend the first thirty minutes struggling with your hardest question. Move through the paper answering confidently where you can, then return to the difficult questions with the time you have saved.
Allocate time per question. Divide your total exam time by the number of questions you are required to answer. If you have two hours and must answer five essay questions, that is roughly 24 minutes per question. Stick to this strictly. A partially answered fifth question often earns more marks than an over-elaborated first one.
Do not leave blanks. In IJMB essay papers, an attempt — even an imperfect one — can earn partial marks. Write something for every question you were supposed to answer. An empty page earns nothing.
Write legibly. Examiners cannot award marks for what they cannot read. If your handwriting deteriorates under pressure, practise writing at speed. Neat, consistently sized handwriting signals organisation and seriousness to the examiner from the first page.
A Simple Weekly Study Plan
If the exam is six weeks away, here is how to organise your preparation using FreshNote materials:
In the first two weeks, cover all your subjects by reading through past questions without attempting them — building familiarity. In weeks three and four, begin attempting full past papers under timed conditions, one paper per subject per day, then reviewing worked answers immediately after. In week five, revisit every question you got wrong and rework it until you can answer it correctly without assistance. In the final week, do light revision only — read through worked answers, review formulas and definitions, and focus on rest and mental readiness.
Get the FreshNote IJMB Past Questions
FreshNote provides past questions and fully worked answers for all major IJMB subjects including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Literature, Economics, Government, and more. The materials are available at freshnote.com.ng and can be accessed on your phone, making it easy to study anywhere — during a commute, between lectures, or late at night when the textbook feels too heavy to lift.
Your preparation is the exam. Start today.