Teesas wants to reduce the failure rate in Nigeria’s university entrance exams

Only 14 of every hundred students who took Nigeria’s university entrance exam in 2023 passed, highlighting a crisis in the country’s education system. The numbers for the last five years are dire, with college examination bodies like the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the West African Examination Commission (WAEC) recording increased failure rates.

Teesas, an edtech startup launched in 2021, believes it can lower these failure rates. The company analyses past questions from college entrance examinations—a massive dataset spanning the last 40 years of JAMB exams—which students can practise as part of their studying.

Studying past questions isn’t novel; students have bought physical copies of these questions and practised them. But Teesas differentiates itself by also offering video tutorials from tutors.

The startup offers a subscription model where students can access the video tutorials and the question bank for a ₦10,000 one-time plan while offering a question bank-only feature for just ₦2,000.

The company also offers offline learning to address the internet challenges through its yearly premium plan of ₦10,000. This allows students to access the app and save and download video tutorials without an internet connection.

Teesas’ solution is coming when WAEC is considering computer-based assessments for its exams. WAEC will begin conducting computer-based examination (CBE) for candidates writing its examination this February.

According to Teesas CEO Izedonmwen, the edtech is building a new product to help students prepare for this shift. “We are bringing our JAMB/WAEC exam preparation product called Matric,” he said. Learners will access over 5,000 tutor-led videos that provide answers and tips to the most frequently asked SSCE and UTME questions from the last 40 years.

“They also get the opportunity to take computer-based (CBT) mock exams, with detailed explanatory answers.” Teesas’ early adoption of CBT preparation allows students to familiarise themselves with the new format even as the system transitions.

Since its launch, Teesas has raised $2 million in funding, and claims to have over 50,000 active users, with nearly 95% reporting a significant improvement in their understanding of key concepts. “We are an impact-focused business and as such, we track both profitability and impact metrics (learning journeys completed, exam pass rate, engagement levels, etc,” Izedonmwen told TechCabal. “We also aim to be a sustainable business, hence the focus on profitable growth.”