What began as observations from running a Computer Based Test centre in Onitsha has transformed into a learning platform now credited with helping Nigerian students achieve scores of 350 and above in JAMB, WAEC, and post UTME examinations.
Emeka Ejeziem, the Anambra based education entrepreneur who developed Prep50, shared the platform's origin story in an interview with South East Punch on Monday, explaining that the solution emerged from witnessing candidates struggle inside examination halls rather than from abstract technological ambitions.
Operating a private JAMB CBT centre from 2014 exposed Ejeziem to recurring patterns of student difficulties that went beyond lack of knowledge.
"From 2016, when JAMB fully adopted CBT nationwide, the centre came into close contact with candidates and witnessed the panic, confusion, and lack of preparedness that many students displayed inside the examination hall," Ejeziem recounted.
The problems extended to basic computer literacy and exam navigation skills that many students lacked.
"Beyond academic weakness, many candidates struggled with basic CBT navigation, time management, and understanding of exam interfaces inside the exam hall. Some candidates didn't even know they could scroll to see hidden questions on the screen, and others were stuck on the first page," he revealed.
Investigation into these challenges uncovered deeper issues, including reliance on poorly organised past questions, absence of quality CBT practice resources, and significant misalignment between textbook content and the actual JAMB syllabus.
Ejeziem's response involved creating what he termed a "topic by topic learning model" by reorganising past questions dating back to 1978 into structured topics and subtopics matching the JAMB syllabus precisely.
"This approach allows students to master one concept at a time, rather than attempting to learn dozens of topics within a few hours," he explained.
The platform expanded from printed books into a mobile app featuring structured lesson notes designed to cover every possible JAMB question within each topic, CBT simulations that mirror the real exam environment, and performance tracking tools to help students build speed and confidence.
Ejeziem disclosed that Prep50 is introducing an AI powered learning feature into its app, leveraging curated UTME and SSCE data spanning decades to create personalized study plans based on a student's strengths and weaknesses.
The platform distinguishes itself through its tagline "Pass without cheating," emphasizing legitimate academic achievement over shortcuts.
Ejeziem described UTME as the most competitive examination many Nigerian students will ever face, making expert guidance essential for top performance.
