By Fawaz Balogun
“I graduated with good grades, but why can’t I pass this exam?” This is the case of Omolola, who is finding it difficult to pass the ICAN examination. She graduated a year ago from the University of Ibadan, where she studied Economics and graduated with Second Class Upper. Now, she wants to add a professional qualification to her portfolio, and Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN) qualifying examination seems like a better choice for her. Her decision is also influenced by the fact that, during her sojourn at UI, some of her colleagues had taken the examination, while some had even qualified as Chartered Accountants.
She attempted the first examination but did not pass all her papers. She rewrote them, but the outcome remained the same. She began to doubt herself and rethink her decision to take the qualification in the first place. But the quest to become better, stand out among colleagues and classmates, and improve her chances in the labour market remains a driving force for her.
In Nigeria and across the world, various professional examinations exist for different professions, ranging from accounting, law and medicine to nursing, pharmacy, engineering and other regulated professions. These examinations are often required before an individual can become a fully recognised member of a profession, regardless of whether the person graduated with a First Class or a Second Class Upper from the university.
This raises an important question: What makes professional examinations different from academic examinations? This remains a central question because candidates can study for several months, dedicate countless hours to preparation and still fail when the results eventually come out. Such outcomes can be disheartening and discouraging, especially considering the amount of time, money and effort candidates invest in preparation, only to discover that their efforts were not enough.
Professional examinations do not only test what one knows; they also test one’s ability to apply that knowledge to real-life situations. This is what a real professional is expected to do. For instance, a medical student may learn the process of performing a procedure from textbooks, but professional assessments are concerned with how that knowledge can be applied safely and appropriately in practice. Similarly, an ICAN candidate may understand accounting standards and principles, but the examination can require the candidate to apply those principles to complex business situations.
Professional examinations also test the ability to exercise professional judgement. A candidate may know the rules but still struggle when faced with a situation where more than one factor has to be considered before arriving at a decision. This is important because, in the workplace, professionals are rarely presented with questions that have straightforward answers.
An accountant may encounter an unusual financial reporting issue. A lawyer may have to determine the best legal approach to a complicated case. A doctor may have to make a decision based on a patient’s symptoms and medical history. An engineer may be required to identify the cause of a technical failure. In each of these situations, knowing the theory is only the beginning; the professional must be able to interpret the situation, analyse the available information and make an appropriate decision.
At the university, students are often assessed on what they have been taught within a particular course. Professional examinations, however, can require candidates to bring together knowledge from different areas and apply it to a single situation. The candidate is therefore not simply being asked, “Do you know this?” but rather, “What would you do if you encountered this situation in practice?”
The University Professional Examination Gap
This difference may partly explain why some academically successful graduates struggle when they begin professional examinations.
A student can graduate with excellent grades without necessarily having developed the same level of practical judgement required by a professional body. This does not mean that the university education was inadequate or that the student is not intelligent. Rather, university education and professional education often serve different purposes.
The university provides a broad academic foundation, while professional examinations seek to determine whether a candidate can apply knowledge according to the standards of a particular profession.
For some graduates, the transition can therefore be difficult. They move from an environment where they are familiar with lecturers, course outlines and examination formats and sometimes even gets examination area of Concentration, AOC as it is popularly called into a system where questions may be unfamiliar, scenarios may be complex and the expected standard is professional competence.
Another factor is the nature of preparation. Many candidates believe that studying harder automatically guarantees success. While adequate preparation is essential, professional examinations often require a different kind of preparation. Reading textbooks repeatedly may not be enough if the candidate does not practise applying what has been learnt.
A candidate may spend hours studying accounting standards but struggle to answer a question that presents those standards in an unfamiliar business scenario. Another candidate may memorise legal principles but find it difficult to apply them to a practical case.
This is why past questions, mock examinations, case studies and timed practice are important. Candidates need to become comfortable not only with the knowledge but also with the way that knowledge is tested.
Beyond the academic demands, professional examinations can also take a psychological and financial toll on candidates. Repeated failure can gradually affect a candidate’s confidence. After studying hard and failing once, a candidate may convince themselves that the failure was temporary. But after a second or third unsuccessful attempt, the question can become more personal: “Maybe I am not good enough or maybe this professional qualification is not for me.”
For candidates like Omolola, this can be particularly difficult when they see former classmates progressing in their careers or obtaining professional qualifications.
There is also the financial cost. Registration fees, examination fees, study materials, tutorials, transportation and time away from work or other responsibilities can make repeated attempts expensive. For a young graduate already trying to establish a career in Nigeria’s competitive labour market, another examination attempt may represent more than just another academic challenge.
What is really the problem, blaming professional bodies for difficult examinations may not tell the whole story. Professional bodies have a responsibility to ensure that those who qualify possess the knowledge and competence required to practise safely and effectively. Lowering the standard simply to increase the number of successful candidates could eventually affect the quality of professionals entering the workforce.
The more important question may therefore be whether candidates are adequately prepared for what professional examinations demand. Are universities exposing students to enough practical situations? Are students developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills alongside theoretical knowledge? Are professional bodies doing enough to communicate what candidates are expected to demonstrate? And are candidates preparing for professional examinations with the right methods?
These questions require attention from universities, professional bodies, students and policymakers.
So, what is the way out?
Universities and professional bodies could strengthen their collaboration by exposing students to professional standards and practical scenarios before graduation. This could help reduce the shock that many graduates experience when they encounter professional examinations for the first time.
Professional bodies can also continue to provide clearer guidance, sample questions, mock assessments and learning resources that help candidates understand the expectations of the examinations.
Students, on their part, need to recognise that professional examinations require more than reading. They need to practise application, be comfortable with past questions, develop problem-solving skills, review their mistakes and learn how to manage examination time effectively.
Failing a professional examination does not automatically mean that a candidate is unintelligent or incapable, or the end of the road. Sometimes, it simply means that the candidate has not yet mastered the particular skills the examination is designed to test, and there is also a room for bouncing back from a fall.
For Omolola, the challenge is therefore bigger than passing ICAN. It is about understanding why her previous approach did not produce the desired result and finding a better way to prepare. Her story also reflects the experience of many Nigerian graduates and undergraduates who find themselves caught between having a degree or chasing a degree and the thirst of becoming a professional.
Perhaps, therefore, the question should not simply be, “Why are professional examinations so difficult?”
We should also ask: “Are our universities adequately preparing graduates for the professional standards they will eventually be required to meet?”
Because in an increasingly competitive labour market, a university degree may open the door, but for many professions, professional competence determines whether one is ready to walk through it.
