JAMB Government study guide
JAMB Government · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) runs the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the computer-based test used for entry into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria. The Board was established by Act No. 2 of 1978, promulgated on 13 February 1978, and its functions were later codified in Decree No. 33 of 1989, which took effect from 7 December 1989. Topics on this exam: Use of English, Government, Economics, and General Knowledge. The JAMB Government study guide has 4 sections and about 1,280 words.
01Use of English: Concord, Word Class and Oral Forms
The Use of English paper tests how accurately you read and how precisely you control standard English. JAMB divides it into comprehension and summary, lexis and structure (vocabulary, grammar and sentence completion), and oral forms (vowel sounds, consonants, stress and intonation). A verb agrees with its subject in number and person: “The list of items is on the desk,” not “are.” With either…or and neither…nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject. In “one of the boys who absent,” the relative clause follows “boys,” so use “were”: “One of the boys who were absent has returned.” Collective nouns such as government and committee take a singular verb when acting as one body.
331 words, about 2 min02Government: Constitutional Development, Federalism and Elections
Government in JAMB tests Nigerian constitutional development, the structure of government, federalism, elections and political parties, and foreign policy. Expect questions that ask you to identify a principle, date a constitution or distinguish one system from another. Clifford Constitution (1922): introduced the elective principle for Lagos and Calabar. Richards Constitution (1946): created the North, West and East regions.
325 words, about 2 min03Economics: Scarcity, Elasticity and Demand
Economics in JAMB tests basic scarcity and choice, demand and supply, elasticity, production, money and banking, public finance, and features of the Nigerian economy. Questions often reward precise definitions and simple calculations. Scarcity forces choice; the value of the next best alternative forgone is opportunity cost. A production possibility frontier shows efficiency: points inside are inefficient, points on the curve efficient, points outside unattainable.
317 words, about 2 min04General Knowledge: Stable Facts and Careful Elimination
General Knowledge in JAMB samples current affairs, Nigerian history and geography, international organisations, basic science and the arts. Because “current” facts change, anchor your revision on stable dates and structures, and check officeholders only when the syllabus is explicit. Nigeria: independence 1 October 1960; republican status 1963; 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory; the capital moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991. Geography: the Niger and Benue rivers meet at Lokoja, Kogi State.
307 words, about 2 min