JAMB Literature in English syllabus.

About this syllabus official

Summarised from the examining body's own published syllabus. 11 topics, verified 2026-10-24.

Current UTME syllabus as served by IBASS on 2026-10-24; JAMB does not print the applicable years in this document. The list of selected plays, novels and poems likewise prints no years of application.

Structure (sections, topics, contents and objectives) summarised from JAMB's publicly published UTME syllabus, with citation and link. The document itself is not reproduced or redistributed.

Source: https://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/e-syllabus

Source: https://ibass.jamb.gov.ng/static/media/Literature.f24a00818658eb8ecbd0.pdf

General objectives

• stimulate and sustain interest in Literature in English
• create an awareness of the general principles of Literature and the functions of language
• appreciate literary works of all genres and across all cultures
• apply the knowledge of Literature in English to the understanding of cultural, political and economic activities in society

Topics

1. Types of drama (SS 1-3)

• tragedy
• comedy
• tragicomedy
• melodrama
• farce
• opera etc.

You should be able to:

• identify the various types of drama
• analyse the contents of the various types of drama
• compare and contrast the features of different types of drama

2. Dramatic techniques (SS 1-3)

• characterisation
• dialogue
• flashback
• mime
• costume
• music/dance
• décor/scenery
• acts/scenes
• soliloquy/aside
• figures of speech

You should be able to:

• demonstrate adequate knowledge of dramatic techniques and stage directions used in each prescribed text
• differentiate between styles of selected playwrights

3. Interpretation of the prescribed texts (SS 1-3)

• theme
• plot
• socio-political context
• setting

You should be able to:

• determine the theme of any prescribed text
• identify the plot of the play
• apply the lessons of the play to social reality
• identify the spatial setting and temporal period of the play

4. Types of prose (SS 1-3)

• fiction: novel, novella/novelette, short story
• non-fiction: biography, autobiography, memoir
• faction: combination of fact and fiction

You should be able to:

• differentiate between types of novel
• identify the category that each prescribed text belongs to
• analyse the components of each type of prose
• identify the balance of facts and fiction in literary faction

5. Narrative techniques/devices (SS 1-3)

• point of view: omniscient, first person, second person, third person, stream of consciousness, epiphany
• characterisation: round, flat, foil, hero, antihero, villain, heroine, etc.
• language

You should be able to:

• identify the narrative techniques used in each of the prescribed texts
• determine an author's narrative style
• distinguish one type of character from another
• (language) grammar, diction and clarity of expression

6. Textual analysis (SS 1-3)

• theme
• plot
• setting (temporal/spatial)
• socio-political context

You should be able to:

• determine the thematic preoccupation of the prescribed text
• indicate the plot of the novel
• identify the setting and period/timing of the novel
• relate the prescribed text to social reality

7. Types of poetry (SS 1-3)

• sonnet
• ode
• lyrics
• elegy
• ballad
• panegyric
• epic
• blank verse, etc.

You should be able to:

• identify different types of poetry
• identify the distinctive features of the poetic types

8. Poetic devices (SS 1-3)

• imagery
• sound (rhyme/rhythm, repetition, pun, onomatopoeia, etc.)
• diction
• persona

You should be able to:

• determine the devices used by various poets
• show how poetic devices are used for aesthetic effect in each poem
• identify the figures of speech in the texts
• show how poetic devices convey message and meaning

9. Appreciation (SS 1-3)

• thematic preoccupation
• socio-political relevance
• style

You should be able to:

• deduce the poet's thematic preoccupation from the poem
• appraise poetry as an art with moral values
• apply the lessons from the poem to social reality

10. Literary terms (SS 1-3)

• foreshadowing
• suspense
• theatre
• monologue
• dialogue
• soliloquy
• symbolism
• protagonist
• antagonist
• figures of speech
• satire
• stream of consciousness
• synecdoche
• metonymy, etc., in addition to those listed under the different genres

You should be able to:

• identify literary terms that are specific to drama, prose and poetry
• identify areas of overlap in all the genres, e.g. verse in drama and poetry, narration in all the genres

11. Unseen passages/extracts (SS 1-3)

• unseen passages/extracts from drama, prose and poetry

You should be able to:

• identify literary devices used in a given passage/extract
• provide an interpretation of the given passage/extract
• relate the extract to true life experiences

Try free JAMB Literature in English practice questions →