The JAMB 2026 syllabus is the official list of topics tested in each UTME subject for the 2026 cycle. JAMB publishes the syllabus free on jamb.gov.ng, separately for each of the 20-plus subjects offered. The syllabus is updated every year; the 2026 version applies to the 2026 UTME and should be your study reference if you are sitting that cycle.
Last updated: May 2026 If you are studying without the syllabus, you are guessing. The syllabus tells you exactly which chapters of the textbook matter, which topics are tested repeatedly, and which are decorative. Past questions confirm the patterns; the syllabus defines the patterns. This guide walks through where to download the 2026 syllabus, what is tested in each of the most-sat subjects, and how to use the syllabus alongside past questions and a textbook to build a real study plan.
The depth here covers Use of English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Government, Literature in English, and CRS at the topic level. For the other subjects (Geography, Commerce, Accounting, Yoruba, French, History, Agricultural Science), the syllabus structure is the same: download the official JAMB syllabus for that subject and use the same approach.
Where to download the JAMB 2026 syllabus
The syllabus is on jamb.gov.ng under the “Forms” or “Downloads” section, alongside the brochure. There is one PDF per subject; download the four PDFs for your four UTME subjects and keep them as offline study references.
JAMB also publishes the syllabus inside the JAMB e-brochure Android app. The app works offline once downloaded, useful when your internet is intermittent. The free CBT practice apps (Myschool, Passnownow, JAMB CBT Practice) also list the syllabus per subject; treat their list as a convenience and confirm against the JAMB PDF.
Some schools and tutorial centres compile their own “JAMB syllabus” handouts. These can be helpful but treat them as study aids, not authoritative sources. The JAMB-published PDF is the binding reference.
Use of English syllabus
Use of English tests four areas: comprehension and summary, lexis and structure, oral forms, and the recommended novel. The paper carries 100 marks across 60 questions, with 30 minutes to write. The recommended novel changes every few years; for 2026, confirm the current title on jamb.gov.ng.
Comprehension passages are short prose extracts (200 to 400 words each) followed by 4 to 6 questions on main idea, inference, vocabulary, and reference. Summary questions ask you to condense a passage into a sentence or short paragraph.
Lexis and structure cover vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms, near-meanings), sentence structure (subject-verb agreement, tenses, punctuation), and idiomatic usage. Oral forms test pronunciation, intonation patterns, and the difference between sounds (the /s/ vs /z/ distinction, vowel length).
The recommended novel adds around 8 to 10 marks: questions on character, theme, setting, and key events. Read the novel at least twice before exam day.
Mathematics syllabus
JAMB Mathematics is 40 questions in 40 minutes, drawn from five broad areas: number and numeration, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, calculus, and statistics. Each area carries a roughly equal share of the marks.
Number and numeration covers fractions, decimals, percentages, ratio, proportion, indices, logarithms, surds, sequences and series, and arithmetic/geometric progressions. Algebra covers polynomials, factorisation, quadratic equations, linear inequalities, simultaneous equations, and binomial expansion.
Geometry and trigonometry cover plane geometry (angles, triangles, circles, polygons), coordinate geometry (straight lines, distance formula, midpoint), and trigonometric ratios (sin, cos, tan and identities). Calculus covers differentiation (sum, product, quotient, chain rules; turning points; rates of change) and integration (basic anti-derivatives, definite integrals, area under a curve).
Statistics covers mean, median, mode, frequency distribution, histograms, cumulative frequency, and basic probability.
Physics syllabus
JAMB Physics covers mechanics, thermal physics, waves and optics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. The paper is 40 questions in 40 minutes.
Mechanics is the biggest area: motion (kinematics, projectile, circular), Newton’s laws, work-energy-power, momentum and collisions, simple machines. Thermal physics covers heat, specific heat capacity, latent heat, gas laws, and basic thermodynamics.
Waves and optics cover wave properties, sound, reflection, refraction, lenses, mirrors, and interference. Electricity and magnetism cover current, voltage, resistance, Ohm’s law, electromagnetic induction, transformers, and basic electronics.
Modern physics covers atomic structure, photoelectric effect, radioactivity, and a small introduction to nuclear physics. Practice deriving formulas from first principles rather than memorising them; JAMB rewards conceptual recall.
Chemistry syllabus
JAMB Chemistry covers physical, inorganic, and organic chemistry in roughly equal proportions. The paper is 40 questions in 40 minutes.
Physical chemistry covers states of matter, kinetic theory, atomic structure, periodic table trends, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, mole concept, gas laws, thermochemistry, kinetics, equilibrium, and electrochemistry.
Inorganic chemistry covers periodic groups (alkali metals, alkaline earth, transition metals, halogens, noble gases), hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur, and carbon families. Practice writing balanced chemical equations and identifying products of common reactions.
Organic chemistry covers alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, esters, amines, amino acids, polymers, and biomolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins). Practice identifying functional groups and naming compounds in IUPAC convention.
Biology syllabus
JAMB Biology covers cell biology, plant biology, animal biology, ecology, evolution, and genetics. The paper is 40 questions in 40 minutes.
Cell biology covers cell structure, organelles, cell division (mitosis and meiosis), cell transport (diffusion, osmosis, active transport), and cell metabolism.
Plant biology covers plant structure (root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit), photosynthesis, plant transport (xylem and phloem), respiration, and reproduction (sexual and asexual). Animal biology covers digestion, circulation, respiration, excretion, the nervous system, hormones, and reproduction across major animal groups.
Ecology covers ecosystems, food chains, biogeochemical cycles, pollution, and conservation. Evolution covers Darwinian theory, natural selection, and evidence for evolution. Genetics covers Mendelian inheritance, sex linkage, blood groups, and basic molecular genetics (DNA structure, transcription, translation).
Economics syllabus
JAMB Economics covers basic economic concepts, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and the Nigerian economy. Forty questions in 40 minutes.
Basic concepts cover scarcity, choice, opportunity cost, factors of production, types of economic systems, and the production possibility curve. Microeconomics covers demand and supply, market equilibrium, elasticity, theory of consumer behaviour, theory of firms, market structures (perfect, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition), and factor markets.
Macroeconomics covers national income (GDP, GNP, real and nominal), money and banking, inflation, unemployment, fiscal and monetary policy, international trade, balance of payments, and exchange rates.
The Nigerian economy section covers agriculture, manufacturing, services, oil, the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Naira, ECOWAS, OPEC, and recent policy direction (deregulation, privatisation, foreign exchange policy).
Government syllabus
JAMB Government covers political concepts, political systems, the Nigerian political system, the history of Nigerian government, and African politics. Forty questions in 40 minutes.
Political concepts cover state, sovereignty, government, power, authority, legitimacy, citizenship, political culture, and political participation. Political systems cover democracy, authoritarianism, parliamentary vs presidential, federal vs unitary, and the separation of powers.
The Nigerian political system covers the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the federal structure, the three arms of government, electoral processes, INEC, the National Assembly, the Executive, and the Judiciary.
History covers pre-colonial Nigerian polities (Oyo, Benin, Hausa-Fulani, Igbo), colonial administration, the road to independence, military rule, transitions to democracy, and key political events from 1960 to date.
Literature in English and CRS
Literature in English tests three text categories: African prose, non-African prose, African drama, non-African drama, African poetry, and non-African poetry. The specific texts change every few years; confirm the 2026 prescribed list on jamb.gov.ng.
Read each prescribed text in full at least once. For each text, note the main characters, the central conflict, the themes, key quotations, and the historical/social context.
CRS (Christian Religious Studies) covers Old Testament narratives, New Testament narratives, the life of Jesus, the early Christian Church, and the spread of Christianity in Nigeria. The syllabus is structured around specific biblical books and themes; the JAMB syllabus PDF lists them.
IRS (Islamic Religious Studies) covers the Qur’an, the Hadith, the life of Prophet Muhammad, the Caliphate, and Islamic principles in social life. Confirm specific verses and chapters in the syllabus.
How to use the syllabus alongside past questions
The syllabus tells you what JAMB can test; past questions tell you what JAMB actually tests in practice. Use them together. Read a syllabus topic, then look at past questions for that topic; you will see the question patterns JAMB favours.
Topics that appear in past questions across multiple years are the high-mark zones. Topics that appear in the syllabus but rarely in past questions are still tested occasionally; cover them but spend less time there.
Build a topic-by-topic study tracker: write down each syllabus topic, then tick it once you have studied it from the textbook and once you have done past questions on it. Aim for both ticks before the JAMB Mock in March.
This approach beats reading the textbook from cover to cover and beats grinding past questions without the underlying topic understanding.
Frequently asked questions
Is the JAMB syllabus the same as the school’s SS3 syllabus?
They overlap substantially but are not identical. The JAMB syllabus is specifically tailored to what JAMB tests in UTME, while the school SS3 syllabus is tied to the WAEC and NECO exams. Some JAMB topics are not on the SS3 syllabus, and vice versa. If you are studying for JAMB, use the JAMB-published syllabus as the primary reference and use the SS3 textbook as supporting material.
Does the syllabus change between years?
The core topics are stable from one year to the next, but JAMB updates the syllabus annually with small additions, deletions, or rewording. Recommended novels and prescribed Literature texts change every few years. Always download the syllabus for the year you are sitting; the 2025 syllabus may have a different recommended novel from the 2026 syllabus, and that costs 8 to 10 marks if you study the wrong book.
Where can I download the JAMB syllabus?
Free on jamb.gov.ng under the “Forms” or “Downloads” section. One PDF per subject. Also inside the JAMB e-brochure Android app, which works offline. Avoid blogspot sites that host “JAMB syllabus” downloads; many of them are out of date or have been modified. Stick to the JAMB-published version.
How long does it take to cover the JAMB syllabus?
For a candidate starting fresh, plan eight to twelve weeks to cover the syllabus across four subjects, at 4 to 6 hours of study a day. That gives you four weeks of revision and past-question drill after the initial coverage. Candidates who already have a strong O Level baseline can compress the coverage to four to six weeks. Candidates with a weaker baseline may want a sixteen-week plan.
What is the recommended novel for JAMB 2026?
Confirm the current recommended novel on jamb.gov.ng; the title is published in the Use of English section of the JAMB syllabus. JAMB has used “Sweet Sixteen” by Bolaji Abdullahi in recent cycles and may continue or rotate the title. Wherever the title sits, read the novel at least twice and take notes on characters, themes, and key plot events; the novel adds 8 to 10 marks to your Use of English score.
Do all subjects have the same syllabus weight?
Each of your four UTME subjects is scored out of 100, totalling 400. So all subjects carry equal weight in the final UTME score. Some candidates spend disproportionate time on their “favourite” subject and underperform on a weaker subject; the maths is brutal, since a strong 90 in three subjects with a weak 30 in the fourth gives a total of 300, while a balanced 75 in all four gives the same total with less risk. Plan study time roughly evenly across the four.
Lagos-based education writer covering JAMB, WAEC and NECO, and tertiary admissions across Nigeria. Chinedu tracks cut-off marks, admission lists, and school portal updates so students and parents do not have to.
