For years, JUPEB candidates have known exactly what to expect on exam day: pens, paper, and long hours filling in answer booklets. That is changing in 2026. The Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board has confirmed that this year's Multiple-Choice Question papers will be written as Computer-Based Tests, joining the essay and practical papers that will still run on paper. It is the biggest shift in the exam's format in recent memory, and it means the old habit of "reading past questions from a textbook" is no longer enough.
The change was communicated officially in May, with the examination itself scheduled to run from August 3rd to August 14th. The first week covers MCQ, CBT, and practical sessions, while the second week is dedicated to essay and further practical papers. Candidates sitting subjects like History, Physics, Government, Economics, Accounting, and Agricultural Science will now do so at designated CBT centres rather than in the traditional exam hall setup many are used to.
On paper, this sounds like a small administrative update. In practice, it changes how a student needs to prepare. Reading through questions in a textbook and clicking through questions on a screen under time pressure are not the same skill. Students accustomed to writing out workings, underlining key phrases, or flipping back to check earlier answers often find the switch to a computer interface disorienting the first time they try it, especially when the clock is running. The candidates who walk into their CBT centre already comfortable with the format have a real advantage over those encountering a computer-based exam for the first time on the actual test day.
This is exactly the gap FreshNote has been closing. Long before JUPEB made this announcement, FreshNote had already built CBT-style practice directly into its website and mobile-friendly student portal, allowing candidates to work through past questions in a timed, computer-based format rather than a static PDF or printed booklet. Students select a subject, answer questions on-screen exactly as they would at a real CBT centre, and get immediate feedback on their performance, so that by the time they sit the actual exam, the interface itself holds no surprises.
That head start matters more now than it did a year ago. A student who has only ever practiced JUPEB questions on paper will spend part of their exam time simply adjusting to the screen, the navigation, and the pacing of a digital test. A student who has been practicing on FreshNote's CBT-style question banks walks in already familiar with that rhythm, and can spend their time and mental energy on the actual subject matter instead.
FreshNote covers the core JUPEB subjects candidates need, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, Accounting, and CRS, with past questions structured to mirror how they will now appear in a computer-based sitting. For students preparing for the August exams, the practical step is simple: stop relying solely on printed past questions and start practicing under the same conditions the exam will actually be delivered in.
With less than two weeks left before Week 1 begins on August 3rd, the time to get comfortable with CBT is now, not on exam morning. Candidates who want to prepare with JUPEB's new format in mind can start practicing on FreshNote today.