JAMB Arabic Syllabus

General Objectives

The Arabic syllabus is designed to enable candidates to:

• answer comprehension questions correctly in standard Arabic
• translate simple texts from English to Arabic and vice versa
• apply the rules of Arabic grammar functionally
• appreciate Arabic literary texts within the contexts of their environment and eras
• use Arabic as a living world language in communication where necessary

Detailed Arabic Syllabus

5 topics. For each topic: what to study (contents) and the objectives you should be able to meet.

1. Comprehension

   Contents

   • A passage of about 70 words drawn from contemporary themes: current affairs, sports, education, politics, economy, health, culture and ethics
   • Five multiple-choice questions based on the passage

   Objectives — candidates should be able to:

   • deploy fitting vocabulary or phrases for specific ideas
   • infer lessons from the passages
   • recognize the primary themes of the passages
   • supply appropriate titles for the passages
   • interpret the meanings of words in context

2. Translation

   Contents

   • Ten questions in total based on standard usage, key words and phrases
   • Five questions on translation from English into Arabic
   • Five questions on translation from Arabic into English

   Objectives — candidates should be able to:

   • select appropriate Arabic terms conveying English meanings
   • determine fitting English equivalents for Arabic statements
   • clarify idiomatic expressions across both languages
   • transfer concepts between Arabic and English
   • communicate effectively in both languages

3. Grammar

   Contents

   • Demonstrative and relative pronouns
   • Gender (masculine and feminine)
   • Characteristics of nouns
   • Dual forms
   • Plurals: sound masculine plural, sound feminine plural and broken plural
   • Construct phrases (idafah)
   • Separable and inseparable pronouns
   • Appendants: adjectives, conjunctions, permutative (badal) and emphasis (tawkid)
   • Prepositions
   • Transitive and intransitive verbs
   • Perfect verb
   • Imperfect verb (indicative, subjunctive and jussive)
   • Imperative verb
   • Modifiers: Kana, Inna, Zanna and their associates
   • Trilateral and derived verbs
   • Derivatives: comparative/superlative, nouns of instrument, nouns of time and place, relative adjectives
   • Conditional sentences
   • Numerals (1 to 3000)
   • Active and passive voice
   • Nouns in the accusative case: direct object, adverbs, circumstantial, exempted (mustathna), specification (tamyiz) and vocative (munada)

   Objectives — candidates should be able to:

   • identify pronoun forms and gender markers
   • distinguish singular, dual and plural constructions
   • recognize construct phrases and pronouns
   • apply adjectives and conjunctions correctly
   • differentiate verb types and tenses
   • construct conditional sentences
   • count and apply numerals appropriately
   • distinguish active and passive voice and the functions of nouns in the accusative case

4. Composition

   Contents

   • Five essay topics drawn from candidates' environments and experiences
   • Themes include education, culture, health, politics, economy, sports and current affairs

   Objectives — candidates should be able to:

   • select precise vocabulary for thoughts
   • employ correct idiomatic expressions
   • communicate effectively in Arabic
   • express ideas clearly
   • demonstrate common Arabic idioms and proverbs

5. Arabic Literature

   Contents

   • Ten questions covering notable literary figures across the periods
   • Pre-Islamic period (500-610 C.E.): Qays ibn Sa'idah and his sermon; Tumadir al-Khansa' and the elegy
   • Islamic period (610-1798 C.E.): Al-Farazdaq's panegyric; Hassan ibn Thabit's poetry on the conquest of Mecca; Jarir's love poetry
   • Modern period (1798-present): Al-Manfaluti's Al-Abarat (the case of the veil); Iliya Abu Madi's poetry
   • West African Arabic literature: Zakariyya Idris Husayn's play The Upper Class; Jamil Abdullah al-Kanawi's Idfa' bil-lati hiya Ahsan

   Objectives — candidates should be able to:

   • identify pre-Islamic poetic traditions and conventions
   • analyze figurative expressions in Islamic-period literature
   • assess the aesthetic features and modern cultural values of the texts
   • evaluate West African Arabic novels and drama, analyzing content, characteristics and plots

Recommended Texts

• Bashir Ahmad Muhyi al-Din & al-Muradi Mukhtar al-Muradi. Al-Mutala'ah al-Wadihah.
• Sayyid Hamzah Malik. Al-Insha' al-Arabi al-Mutawassit. Ibadan: University Press.
• Abdel-Fattah Sabri & Ali Omar Bek. Al-Qira'ah al-Rashidah (Parts 1-4).
• Abdullah al-Tayyib. Samir al-Talamidh (Parts 1-2).
• Gharb T. (1999). Kayfa Taktub al-Insha'. Zaria.
• Muhammad al-Awwal Abubakr et al. Al-Arabiyyah al-Muyassirah al-Jadidah.
• Muhammad Badi' Sharif, Salim Hakim & al-Hajj Husayn Adamo. Al-Arabiyyah al-Jadidah fi Nigeria (Books 1-3).
• Adekilekun, A.L.A. Learning Arabic Language.
• Balogun, I.A.B. & Oseni, Z.I. (1982). A Modern Arabic Course, Book 1.
• Haywood, J.A. & Nahmad, H.M. (1965). A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language.
• Malik, S.H.A. (1982). A Guide to Arabic Composition (Books I & II).
• Ali al-Jarim & Mustafa Amin. Al-Nahw al-Wadih (Parts 1-3).
• Muhammad ibn Ajurrum al-Sanhaji. Matn al-Ajurrumiyyah.
• Muhammad Muhyi al-Din Abdel-Hamid. Al-Tuhfah al-Saniyyah.
• Zakariyya Husayn (2004). Al-Ma'dubah al-Adabiyyah.
• Zakariyya Husayn (2006). Al-Tabaqat al-Ulya (The Upper Class).
• Mustafa Lutfi al-Manfaluti (2004). Al-Abarat.
• Jamil Abdullah al-Kanawi (2013). Idfa' bil-lati hiya Ahsan.
• Ahmad al-Iskandari et al. Al-Mufassal fi Tarikh al-Adab al-Arabi.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the JAMB UTME Arabic syllabus structured?

It is organised into five sections: Comprehension, Translation, Grammar, Composition and Arabic Literature. Each section has its own contents and objectives, and the grammar section alone covers 20 major grammatical features.

What grammar topics does JAMB Arabic cover?

Twenty topics, including demonstrative and relative pronouns, gender, the dual, the three plural types (sound masculine, sound feminine and broken), construct phrases, prepositions, perfect/imperfect/imperative verbs, the modifiers Kana, Inna and Zanna, derivatives, conditional sentences, numerals from 1 to 3000, active and passive voice, and nouns in the accusative case.

How is translation tested in JAMB Arabic?

There are ten translation questions: five require translating from English into Arabic and five from Arabic into English, based on standard usage, key words and idiomatic phrases.

What is expected in the comprehension section?

Candidates read a passage of about 70 words drawn from themes such as current affairs, sports, education, politics, economy, health, culture and ethics, then answer five multiple-choice questions testing vocabulary, main themes, lessons, suitable titles and word meanings.

What does the Arabic Literature section include?

Ten questions spanning the pre-Islamic period (500-610 C.E.), the Islamic period (610-1798 C.E.), the modern period (1798 to present), and West African Arabic literature, featuring poets and writers such as al-Khansa', Hassan ibn Thabit, Jarir, al-Manfaluti, Iliya Abu Madi and West African authors like Zakariyya Husayn and Jamil al-Kanawi.

What themes are set for the composition section?

Candidates write on topics drawn from their environment and daily life, covering education, culture, health, politics, economy, sports and current affairs, demonstrating precise vocabulary, correct idioms and clear expression.

Does the Arabic syllabus recommend specific textbooks?

Yes. It lists separate reading lists for comprehension/composition/translation (e.g. Al-Qira'ah al-Rashidah, A Modern Arabic Course), grammar (e.g. Al-Nahw al-Wadih, Matn al-Ajurrumiyyah, Haywood & Nahmad's A New Arabic Grammar) and literature (e.g. al-Manfaluti's Al-Abarat and West African works).

What are the overall aims of the JAMB Arabic syllabus?

To enable candidates to answer comprehension questions in standard Arabic, translate simple texts between English and Arabic, apply Arabic grammar functionally, appreciate Arabic literary texts in their context, and use Arabic as a living world language for communication.