JAMB Principles of Accounts Syllabus 2027: Full Topics, Objectives and Recommended Textbooks

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Last updated: October, 2026

Writing Principles of Accounts in the 2027 UTME? The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) syllabus tells you exactly what the examiners can ask, so you can practise the right things instead of everything.

This page lists all 18 topics in the official JAMB syllabus, the skills you are expected to show on each one, and the textbooks JAMB recommends. You will also find a six-week study plan, sample questions and answers to frequently asked questions.

Note that JAMB titles this syllabus “Principles of Accounting”. Many candidates and schools call it Principles of Accounts, Financial Accounting or simply Accounts. It is the same subject.

Quick Facts

• Exam: Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), computer-based
• Subject: Principles of Accounts (JAMB syllabus title: Principles of Accounting)
• Total topics: 18 main topics, numbered 1 to 18 in the official syllabus
• Calculation topics: most of them, including the trial balance, final accounts, bank reconciliation, stock valuation, control accounts, manufacturing accounts, partnership and company accounts
• Newer content: public sector accounting (TSA, IPSAS, IPPIS) and information technology in accounting (AI, data analytics, block chain, virtual accounting)
• Source: Official JAMB syllabus

In This Guide

1. Aim and objectives of the syllabus
2. The topic groups at a glance
3. Detailed syllabus (topics and what you should be able to do)
4. Recommended textbooks
5. Six-week study plan
6. Sample questions
7. Subject combinations
8. FAQs

Aim and Objectives

The aim of the UTME Principles of Accounting syllabus is to prepare candidates for the Board’s examination and test how well they have achieved the course objectives. Candidates are expected to:

• Stimulate and sustain their interest in Principles of Accounting.
• Use basic principles, knowledge and practical skills in financial accounting.
• Apply the knowledge and interpretation of accounting information to decision making.
• Appreciate the relevance of accounting information to business and governments.
• Apply information technology in solving accounting problems.

The Topic Groups at a Glance

JAMB lists the 18 topics in one numbered list without sections. To make the page easier to study, we have grouped them below. The topic numbers are the official ones.

• Foundations of Accounting (topics 1 to 3): nature of book keeping and accounting, principles of double entry, and ethics and professional bodies
• Records, Cash and Bank (topics 4 and 5): cash book, bank transactions and reconciliation
• Final Accounts and Related Records (topics 6 to 9): final accounts of a sole trader, stock valuation, control accounts, incomplete records
• Accounts of Special Organizations (topics 10 to 14): manufacturing accounts, not-for-profit organizations, departmental, branch and joint venture accounts
• Partnerships, Companies, the Public Sector and Technology (topics 15 to 18)

Detailed Syllabus

Foundations of Accounting

1. Nature and Significance of Book Keeping and Accounting
   • Development of accounting (including its branches), objectives of book keeping and accounting, users and characteristics of accounting information, principles, concepts and conventions, the role of accounting records and information, and career opportunities
   • You should be able to: differentiate book keeping from accounting, apply the right principles, concepts and conventions, identify the branches (cost, management, auditing, financial, forensic, social and environmental, government accounting and taxation) and identify careers in accounting.
2. Principles of Double Entry
   • Source documents, books of original entry, the accounting equation, the ledger and its classifications, the trial balance, types and correction of errors, and the suspense account
   • You should be able to: identify source documents and relate them to the books of original entry, determine the effect of changes in the accounting equation, extract a trial balance, identify types of errors and correct them using a suspense account.
3. Ethics, Professional and Regulatory Bodies in Accounting
   • Objectives, qualities of an accountant, accounting professional bodies in Nigeria and accounting regulatory bodies
   • You should be able to: understand the ethics of preparing and presenting accounting information, qualities such as honesty, integrity, transparency, accountability and fairness, and the functions of professional and regulatory bodies such as the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Records, Cash and Bank

4. Cash Book
   • Columnar cash books (single, double and three column), discounts, the petty cash book and the imprest system
   • You should be able to: determine the cash float, differentiate two- and three-column cash books, differentiate trade from cash discounts and their effects, and identify petty cash expenses.
5. Bank Transactions and Reconciliation Statements
   • Instruments of bank transactions, the e-banking system, causes of discrepancies between the cash book and the bank statement, bank reconciliation statements and the adjusted cash book
   • You should be able to: identify instruments such as cheques, pay-in slips, credit and debit cards and internet banking, assess the impact of automated credit, credit transfers, interbank transfers and direct debit, identify causes of discrepancies and determine the adjusted cash book balance.

Final Accounts and Related Records

6. Final Accounts of a Sole Trader or Proprietor
   • Statement of profit or loss, statement of financial position, and adjustments: provision for bad and doubtful debts, provision for discounts, depreciation (straight-line and reducing balance), accruals and prepayments
   • You should be able to: determine cost of sales, gross profit and net profit, identify non-current assets, current assets, long-term and current liabilities and proprietor’s capital, and differentiate bad debts from the provision for bad and doubtful debts.
7. Stock Valuation
   • Meaning and purpose, methods (FIFO, LIFO and simple average), and their advantages and disadvantages
   • You should be able to: value materials issued and closing stock using FIFO, LIFO and simple average, and determine the effect on the income statement.
8. Control Accounts
   • Meaning and uses, the purchases ledger control account and the sales ledger control account
9. Incomplete Records and Single Entry
   • Meaning, the difference between incomplete records and single entry, determination of missing figures, preparation of final accounts from incomplete records, and conversion of single entry to double entry
   • You should be able to: determine proprietor’s capital using a statement of affairs, find sales, purchases, cash balances, debtors, creditors and expenses, and use accounting equations and profit percentages to find cost of sales and profits.

Accounts of Special Organizations

10. Manufacturing Accounts
    • Purpose, cost classification, cost apportionment and preparation of the manufacturing account
    • You should be able to: calculate prime cost, overhead cost, production cost and total cost, and determine the basis of cost apportionment.
11. Accounts of Not-For-Profit-Making Organizations
    • Objectives, the receipts and payments account, the income and expenditure account and the statement of financial position
    • You should be able to: distinguish profit-oriented from not-for-profit organizations, determine subscriptions in arrears and in advance, and compute cash balances, accumulated funds and the surplus or deficit.
12. Departmental Accounts
    • Objectives, apportionment of incomes and expenses, the departmental statement of profit or loss and inter-departmental transfers
13. Branch Accounts
    • Objectives, types of branches, pricing methods and the accounts kept by the head office and by a branch, and reconciliation of branch and head office books
14. Joint Venture Accounts
    • Objectives and features, forms of joint ventures, accounting procedures and memorandum joint venture accounts

Partnerships, Companies, the Public Sector and Technology

15. Partnership Accounts
    • Formation, partners’ current and capital accounts, final accounts (profit or loss account, appropriation account and statement of financial position), treatment of goodwill, admission and retirement of a partner, and dissolution
    • You should be able to: understand the formation procedures, determine the effects of admission and retirement, determine profit or loss on revaluation of assets, and find each partner’s share on dissolution.
16. Introduction to Company Accounts
    • Formation and classification of companies, issue of shares and debentures, final accounts of companies, accounting ratios, and the distinction between capital and revenue reserves
    • You should be able to: differentiate types of companies, treat the issue of shares and debentures, compute the elements of final accounts, and compute and interpret accounting ratios such as the current ratio, acid test and stock turnover.
17. Public Sector Accounting
    • Accounting basis in the public sector, sources of government revenue, capital and recurrent expenditure, the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the statement of assets and liabilities, responsibilities and powers of the Accountant General, the Auditor General, the Minister of Finance and the Treasurer of Local Government, instruments of financial regulation, and current issues (Treasury Single Account, International Public Sector Accounting Standards and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System)
    • You should be able to: differentiate public from private sector accounting, calculate the Consolidated Revenue Fund, identify the duties of the officers named, distinguish elements of control (warrant, votes, budget and due process certificate), and understand current trends.
18. Information Technology in Accounting
    • Manual and computerized processing systems, procedures involved in data processing, digitization and digital technologies (machine learning and artificial intelligence, data analytics, mobile accounting, special accounting software), block chain technology and virtual accounting
    • You should be able to: differentiate manual from computerized accounting, identify the digital technologies used, understand the benefits of block chain, identify the services of virtual accountants and the advantages and disadvantages of computerized processing.

Recommended Textbooks

JAMB lists these texts for Principles of Accounting:

• Adekunle, K. O. (2014). Bounty Financial Accounting for Schools and Colleges. Ibadan: Bounty Press Ltd.
• Agbasiere, E. A., Ufot, C. I. and Olugbenga, T. E. (2015). New Age Financial Accounting SSS Text Books. Anambra: New Age Press Ltd.
• Ayodele, A. (2015). Financial Accounting for Schools and Colleges. Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd.
• Ekwue, K. C. (2010). Principles of Accounts, Books 1 and 2. Onitsha: Adson Publishing Company.
• Femi, L. (2013). Simplified and Amplified Financial Accounting.
• Frankwood and Alan, S. (2002). Frankwood’s Business Accounting. Prentice Hall International Edition.
• Hassan, M. M. (2001). Government Accounting. Lagos: Malthouse Press Limited.
• Ibrahim, R. A. and Kazeem, R. A. (2018). Essential Financial Accounting for Senior Secondary Schools (Sixth Edition). Ogun State: Tonad Publishers Limited.
• Igben, R. O. (2004). Financial Accounting Made Simple (Vol. I). Lagos: Roi Publishers.
• ICAN (2021). Foundation Level Financial Accounting Study Text. Lagos: Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
• Ono, D. I., Oshunnira, M. and Ozurigbo, P. M. (2015). Financial Accounting for Senior Secondary Schools. Ibadan: Hebn Publishers Plc.

Six-Week Study Plan

• Week 1: Topics 1 to 3. Learn the principles, concepts and conventions, source documents, the books of original entry, double entry and the trial balance.
• Week 2: Topics 4 and 5. Practise the cash book, petty cash, discounts and the bank reconciliation statement.
• Week 3: Topics 6 to 9. Practise sole trader final accounts with adjustments, stock valuation, control accounts and incomplete records.
• Week 4: Topics 10 to 14. Practise manufacturing, not-for-profit, departmental, branch and joint venture accounts.
• Week 5: Topics 15 to 18. Study partnership accounts, company accounts and ratios, public sector accounting and information technology in accounting.
• Week 6: Revise weak topics and practise past questions under timed conditions.

Tips:

• Accounting is a skill. Work through full questions with a pen and paper every day, not just read.
• Master the double entry rule (debit and credit) first, because every other topic builds on it.
• Learn the format of each statement: trial balance, statement of profit or loss, statement of financial position, manufacturing account, receipts and payments account, and income and expenditure account.
• Revise the newer topics (Treasury Single Account, IPSAS, IPPIS, block chain and virtual accounting) too, because they are in the syllabus.
• Use the syllabus objectives as a checklist. If you cannot do what an objective says, you are not ready on that topic.

Sample Questions

1. Which of the following is a book of original entry? A. Trial balance B. Sales journal C. Ledger D. Statement of financial position Answer: B
2. If assets are N50,000 and liabilities are N20,000, the capital is A. N30,000 B. N70,000 C. N20,000 D. N50,000 Answer: A
3. Gross profit is sales less A. cost of sales B. expenses C. drawings D. capital Answer: A
4. Under FIFO, materials issued to production are priced at the cost of the A. latest purchase B. earliest purchase C. average cost D. selling price Answer: B
5. A suspense account is used to A. record cash sales B. temporarily hold a difference in the trial balance C. record depreciation D. record drawings Answer: B

Subject Combinations

Principles of Accounts is commonly required for courses such as Accounting, Business Administration, Banking and Finance, Insurance, Economics and other management and social science courses. Always check your chosen course and university in the JAMB brochure for the exact combination.

Related: JAMB Subject Combination for Social Science and Management Students | JAMB Brochure | JAMB Recommended Textbooks for All Subjects | JAMB UTME Registration Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the JAMB Principles of Accounts syllabus?

It is the official JAMB document that lists the topics and learning objectives candidates must cover for Principles of Accounting in the UTME.

How many topics are in the syllabus?

Eighteen, from Nature and Significance of Book Keeping and Accounting to Information Technology in Accounting.

Is Principles of Accounts the same as Accounting?

Yes. JAMB titles the syllabus Principles of Accounting, while many candidates and schools call it Principles of Accounts, Financial Accounting or Accounts.

Does the syllabus include calculations?

Yes. Most topics involve calculation: trial balance, final accounts, bank reconciliation, stock valuation, control accounts, manufacturing accounts, partnership and company accounts, and accounting ratios.

Does the syllabus cover public sector accounting?

Yes. Topic 17 covers government revenue and expenditure, the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the Treasury Single Account, IPSAS and IPPIS.

Where can I get past questions for Principles of Accounts?

Click here

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