JAMB Syllabus for Principles of Account 2026

1. Nature and Significance of Book keeping and Accounting

a. Development of Accounting (including branches of accounting)

b. Objectives of Book Keeping and accounting

c. Users and characteristics of Accounting information

d. Principles, concepts and conventions of Accounting (nature, significance and
application)

e. Role of Accounting records and information

f. Career opportunities in Book Keeping and
Accounting

Candidates should be able to:

i. differentiate between Book Keeping and Accounting;

ii. understand the historical background of Book Keeping
and Accounting;

iii. apply the right principles, concepts and conventions to
solving Accounting problems;

iv. understand the role of Accounting information in
decision making;

v. identify the types/branches of Accounting such as Cost Accounting, Management Accounting, Auditing,
Financial Accounting, Forensic Accounting, Social and Environmental Accounting, Government Accounting
and Taxation; and

vi. identify the different career opportunities in Book
Keeping and Accounting.

2. Principles of Double Entry

a. Source documents

b. Books of original entry

c. Accounting equation

d. Ledger and its classifications

e. Trial balance

f. Types and correction of errors

g. Suspense Account

Candidates should be able to:

i. identify various source documents and their uses;

ii. relate source documents to the various books of original entry;

iii. determine the effect of changes in elements of Accounting equation;

iv. understand the role of double entry principles in treating financial transactions;

v. extract a trial balance from ledger accounts;

vi. identify various types of errors and their corrections; and

vii. correct errors using suspense account.

3. Ethics, Professional and Regulatory Bodies in Accounting

a. Objectives

b. Qualities of an Accountant

c. Accounting professional bodies in Nigeria

d. Accounting regulatory bodies

Candidates should be able to:

i. understand the ethics required in preparing and presenting Accounting information;

ii. understand qualities of an Accountant such as honesty, integrity, transparency, accountability and fairness;

iii. understand the purpose and functions of Accounting professional bodies in Nigeria; and

iv. understand the purpose and functions of Accounting regulatory bodies in Nigeria e.g. Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and International Accounting Standard Board (IASB).

4. Cash Book

a. Columnar Cash Books:

i. single column

ii. double column

iii. three column

b. Discounts

c. Petty Cash Book and imprest system

Candidates should be able to:

i. determine the cash float;

ii. differentiate between two and three columnar cash books and how transactions are recorded in them; 

iii. differentiate between trade and cash discounts;

iv. examine the effects of trade and cash discounts in the books of accounts; and

v. identify various petty cash expenses.

5. Bank Transactions and Reconciliation Statements

a. Instrument of bank transactions 

b. ebanking system

c. Causes of discrepancies between cash book and bank statement

d. Bank reconciliation statement

e. Adjusted cash book

Candidates should be able to:

i. identify various instruments of bank transactions such as cheques, pay in slips, credit cards, debit cards, internet banking and their uses;

ii. assess the impact of automated credit system, credit transfers, interbank transfers and direct debit on cash balances; 

iii. identify factors that cause discrepancies between cash book balance and bank statement; and 

iv. determine adjusted cash book balance.

6. Final Accounts of a Sole

Trader/Proprietor

a. Statement of profit or loss/income statement

b. Statement of financial position

c. Adjustments:

i. provision for bad and doubtful debt

ii. provision for discounts

iii. provision for depreciation using straightline and reducing balance methods

iv. accruals and prepayment

Candidates should be able to:

i. determine the cost of sales, gross profit and net profit of

a sole trader;

ii. identify non current assets, current assets, long term liabilities, current liabilities and proprietor’s capital;

iii. compute adjustable items on the related expenditure and income in the statement of profit or loss; and

iv. differentiate between bad debts and provision for bad and doubtful debts.