JAMB Syllabus For Arabic 2025/2026

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is responsible for conducting the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Nigeria.

For candidates aspiring to pursue Arabic studies or related courses, understanding the JAMB syllabus is crucial for effective preparation.

This guide provides a detailed overview of the JAMB Arabic syllabus for the 2025/2026 academic session, covering key areas such as comprehension, translation, grammar, composition, and Arabic literature.

General Objectives

The JAMB Arabic syllabus aims to:

Enable candidates to answer comprehension questions accurately in standard Arabic.
Facilitate the translation of simple texts between English and Arabic.
Apply Arabic grammar rules functionally.
Appreciate Arabic literary texts within their historical and cultural contexts.
Use Arabic effectively as a global language for communication.

JAMB Syllabus Structure for Arabic

The syllabus is divided into five main sections:

Section A: Comprehension
Section B: Translation
Section C: Grammar
Section D: Composition
Section E: Arabic Literature

Section A: Comprehension

This section assesses candidates’ ability to understand and interpret Arabic texts. It includes:

Reading passages of approximately 70 words.
Answering multiple-choice questions based on the passage.

Objectives:

Identify main themes and deduce lessons from the passage.
Interpret the meanings of specific words.
Provide appropriate titles for passages.

Section B: Translation

This section evaluates candidates’ proficiency in translating texts between English and Arabic. It involves:

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Translating sentences from English to Arabic and vice versa.
Interpreting idiomatic expressions in both languages.

Objectives:

Use appropriate Arabic words to convey English meanings.
Determine suitable English equivalents for Arabic expressions.
Transfer ideas expressed in one language to the other effectively.

Section C: Grammar

This section tests candidates’ understanding and application of Arabic grammar. Topics include:

Pronouns: Demonstrative, relative, conditional, and interrogative.
Gender distinctions: Masculine and feminine forms.
Noun characteristics: Singular, dual, and plural forms.
Construct phrases and the use of prepositions.
Verb forms: Transitive and intransitive, perfect and imperfect, imperative.
Modifiers and derivatives.
Conditional sentences and numerals (1–1000).
Active and passive voices.
Subject and predicate structures.
Nouns in the accusative case.

Section D: Composition

This section assesses candidates’ ability to express ideas coherently in Arabic. It includes:

Writing compositions on topics related to candidates’ experiences and environments, such as education, culture, health, politics, economy, sports, and current affairs.

Objectives:

Use appropriate words and idiomatic expressions.
Communicate effectively and express ideas clearly.
Relate common Arabic idioms and proverbs.

Section E: Arabic Literature

This section evaluates candidates’ knowledge of Arabic literary works across different periods. Topics include:

Introduction to Arabic literature.
The Pre-Islamic Period (500–610 C.E.).
The Islamic Period (610–1798 C.E.).
The Modern Period (1978 to date).
Arabic Literature in West Africa.

Objectives:

Identify pre-Islamic poetic traditions and conventions.
Analyze the style of figurative expressions in Islamic literature.
Describe aesthetic features in modern literary texts and assess their cultural values.
Evaluate the use of Arabic in West African novels and drama, analyzing their contents and major characteristics.

JAMB Syllabus for Arabic 2025/2026

TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES	OBJECTIVES
SECTION A: COMPREHENSION It consists of a passage of seventy (70) words. Five multiple-choice questions are to be set on the passage. The contents should be within the experience of the candidates e.g. current affairs, sports, education, politics, economy, health, culture and ethics.	Candidates should be able to: i. use appropriate words or phrases for specific thought ii. deduce the lesson in the passage iii. determine the main themes of the passage iv. give an appropriate title to the passage v. interpret the meanings of particular words
SECTION B: TRANSLATION This section consists of ten (10) questions. Five of them are on translation from English into Arabic while the other five are on translation from Arabic into English. Translation into English includes key words and phrases in a sentence. Translated questions are to be based on standard Arabic and English usages.	Candidates should be able to: i. use an appropriate Arabic word or phrase to convey the meaning of an English word or phrase ii. determine an appropriate English word or phrase for an Arabic statement iii. interpret idiomatic expressions in both Arabic and English iv. transfer ideas expressed in Arabic to English and vice versa v. communicate effectively in Arabic and English.
SECTION C: GRAMMAR Major grammatical features in Arabic to be examined include: 1 أسماء اإلشارة والموصولة والشرط واالستفهام. -17 المشتقات: Demonstrative, relative, conditional and interrogative pronouns. .2 المذكر والمؤنث. Gender (Masculine and Feminine). .3 عالمات االسم. Characteristics of noun. .4 المثنى. Dual. .5 الجموع: Plurals: أ – جمع المذكر السالم. a. sound masculine plural ب – جمع المؤنث السالم b. sound feminine plural ج – جمع التكسير c. broken plural .6 المضاف والمضاف إليه. Construct phrases. .7 الضمائر المنفصلة و المتصلة Separable and inseparable pronouns. .8 التوابع: Appendants: أ – النعت. ;adjective .a ب – العطف. ;conjunction .b c. the permutative; .البدل – ج د – التوكيد. .emphasis .d .9 حروف الجر والنصب والجزم Prepositions. .10 الفعل الالزم والفعل المتعدي. Transitive & Intransitive verbs. .11 الفعل الماضي The perfect verb. .12 فعل المضارع: The imperfect verb: a. the indicative. المرفوع – أ b. the subjunctive. المنصوب – ب c. the jussive. .المجزوم – ج .13 فعل األمر. The imperative verb. .14 النواسخ: The modifiers: أ – كان و أخواتها a. Kana and its associates ب – إن و أخواتها b. Inna and its associates ج – ظن و أخواتها c. Zanna and its associates .15 الفعل الثالثي المجرد و المزيد فيه. Trilateral and derived verb. .16 المصدر. Verbal noun. 17- Derivatives: أ – اسم الفاعل. a. active participle. ب- اسم المفعول. b. passive participle. ج- اسم التفضيل. c. comparative/superlative. هـ – اسم اآللة. d. noun of instrument. و – اسما الزمان و المكان. e. nouns of time and place. ز – اسم النسبة. f. relative adjective. ح- اسم المبالغة g. hyperbole noun. .18 الجملة الشرطية Conditional sentence. .19 العدد )1 – 1000 فقط( Numeral (1 – 1000). .20 الفاعل و نائب الفاعل. Active and passive voices. .21 المبتدأ والخبر. Subject and predicate. .22 منصوبات األسماء: Nouns in the accusative أ – المفعول به. a. direct object; ب – المفعول فيه )ظرف(. b. adverbs of place and time; ج – الحال. c. adverb of circumstance; د – المستثنى بإال. d. the exempted with illa; هـ – التمييز. e. the specification; و – المنادى. f. the vocative.	Candidates should be able to: i. identify the various forms of demonstrative and relative pronouns ii. compare gender markers in Arabic iii. identify the characteristics of Arabic nouns iv. differentiate between singular and dual forms of nouns v. construct plural forms of singular nouns vi. identify and construct phrases and their usages; vii. differentiate between separable and inseparable pronouns viii. identify correct usage of adjectives, conjunctions, permutative and emphasis in Arabic sentences ix. apply correct preposition particles in a given sentence x. differentiate between transitive and intransitive verbs and use them in sentences xi. identify the perfect verbs and their forms xii. identify the imperfect verbs and their grammatical words in sentences xiii.identify the imperative verbs and their forms xiv. identify the kinds of modifiers and apply them in Arabic usage xv. differentiate between trilateral and derived verbs xvi. identify the types of derivatives xvii. apply the rules governing conditional sentences, identify, construct and differentiate them in normal sentences xviii. recognise and count Arabic numerals from 1 to 1000 and identify the intricacies involved in their usage xix. distinguish between doer and doer-substitute and apply them in sentences xx. identify different types of adverbial clauses, the exempted, specification and the vocative and use them in standard Arabic.

TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES

OBJECTIVES

SECTION A: COMPREHENSION

It consists of a passage of seventy (70) words. Five multiple-choice questions are to be set on the passage. The contents should be within the experience of the candidates e.g. current affairs, sports, education, politics, economy, health, culture and ethics.

Candidates should be able to:

i. use appropriate words or phrases for specific
thought

ii. deduce the lesson in the passage

iii. determine the main themes of the passage

iv. give an appropriate title to the passage

v. interpret the meanings of particular words

SECTION B: TRANSLATION

This section consists of ten (10) questions. Five of them are on translation from English into Arabic while the other five are on translation from Arabic into English.

Translation into English includes key words and phrases in a sentence.

Translated questions are to be based on standard Arabic and English usages.

Candidates should be able to:

i. use an appropriate Arabic word or phrase to convey the meaning of an English word or phrase

ii. determine an appropriate English word or phrase for an Arabic statement

iii. interpret idiomatic expressions in both Arabic and
English

iv. transfer ideas expressed in Arabic to English and vice versa

v. communicate effectively in Arabic and English.

SECTION C: GRAMMAR

Major grammatical features in Arabic to be examined include:

1 أسماء اإلشارة والموصولة والشرط واالستفهام. -17 المشتقات:

Demonstrative, relative, conditional and interrogative pronouns.

.2 المذكر والمؤنث.
Gender (Masculine and Feminine).

.3 عالمات االسم.
Characteristics of noun.

.4 المثنى.
Dual.

.5 الجموع:
Plurals:
أ – جمع المذكر السالم.

a. sound masculine plural
ب – جمع المؤنث السالم

b. sound feminine plural
ج – جمع التكسير

c. broken plural

.6 المضاف والمضاف إليه.
Construct phrases.

.7 الضمائر المنفصلة و المتصلة
Separable and inseparable pronouns.

.8 التوابع:
Appendants:
أ – النعت. ;adjective .a
ب – العطف. ;conjunction .b

c. the permutative; .البدل – ج
د – التوكيد. .emphasis .d

.9 حروف الجر والنصب والجزم
Prepositions.

.10 الفعل الالزم والفعل المتعدي.
Transitive & Intransitive verbs.

.11 الفعل
الماضي
The perfect verb.

.12 فعل المضارع:
The imperfect verb:

a. the indicative. المرفوع – أ

b. the subjunctive. المنصوب – ب

c. the jussive. .المجزوم – ج

.13 فعل األمر.
The imperative verb.

.14 النواسخ:
The modifiers:
أ – كان و أخواتها

a. Kana and its associates
ب – إن و أخواتها

b. Inna and its associates
ج – ظن و أخواتها

c. Zanna and its associates

.15 الفعل الثالثي المجرد و المزيد فيه.
Trilateral and derived verb.

.16 المصدر.
Verbal noun.

17- Derivatives: أ – اسم الفاعل.

a. active participle. ب- اسم المفعول.

b. passive participle. ج- اسم التفضيل.

c. comparative/superlative.
هـ – اسم اآللة.

d. noun of instrument.
و – اسما الزمان و المكان.

e. nouns of time and place.
ز – اسم النسبة.

f. relative adjective.
ح- اسم المبالغة

g. hyperbole noun.

.18 الجملة الشرطية
Conditional sentence.

.19 العدد )1 – 1000 فقط(

Numeral (1 – 1000).

.20 الفاعل و نائب الفاعل.
Active and passive voices.

.21 المبتدأ والخبر.
Subject and predicate.

.22 منصوبات األسماء:
Nouns in the accusative
أ – المفعول به.

a. direct object;
ب – المفعول فيه )ظرف(.

b. adverbs of place and time;
ج – الحال.

c. adverb of circumstance;
د – المستثنى بإال.

d. the exempted with illa;
هـ – التمييز.

e. the specification;
و – المنادى.

f. the vocative.

Candidates should be able to:

i. identify the various forms of demonstrative and relative pronouns

ii. compare gender markers in Arabic

iii. identify the characteristics of Arabic nouns

iv. differentiate between singular and dual forms of nouns

v. construct plural forms of singular nouns

vi. identify and construct phrases and their usages;

vii. differentiate between separable and inseparable pronouns

viii. identify correct usage of adjectives, conjunctions, permutative and emphasis in Arabic sentences

ix. apply correct preposition particles in a given sentence

x. differentiate between transitive and intransitive verbs and use them in sentences

xi. identify the perfect verbs and their forms

xii. identify the imperfect verbs and their grammatical words in sentences

xiii.identify the imperative verbs and their forms

xiv. identify the kinds of modifiers and apply them in Arabic usage

xv. differentiate between trilateral and derived verbs

xvi. identify the types of derivatives

xvii. apply the rules governing conditional sentences, identify, construct and differentiate them in normal sentences

xviii. recognise and count Arabic numerals from 1 to 1000 and identify the intricacies involved in their usage

xix. distinguish between doer and doer-substitute and apply them in sentences

xx. identify different types of adverbial clauses, the exempted, specification and the vocative and use them in standard Arabic.

JAMB Syllabus for Arabic 2025/2026

General Objectives

JAMB Syllabus Structure for Arabic

Section A: Comprehension

Section B: Translation

Section C: Grammar

Section D: Composition

Section E: Arabic Literature

JAMB Syllabus for Arabic 2025/2026

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