How to Pass JAMB Literature in English in 2027

Literature in English is the subject where the books you read matter more than the notes you copy. Candidates who skip the texts and rely on short summaries do fine on general questions about literary terms, and badly on questions about events, characters and themes in the set books. The cure is not complicated but it does need time, so start early.

This guide is for the 2027 cycle. It will not name or summarise the set texts, because the prescribed list is set by JAMB and can change between cycles. For the current list, see the official syllabus and our guide to JAMB Literature texts 2026 to 2030.

The format

Literature in English is a chosen subject, often taken by candidates aiming at English, Theatre Arts, Mass Communication, Law and related courses. It carries 40 questions in the UTME CBT. For the official format and time limit, check jamb.gov.ng. Your preparation falls into two groups:

Both matter, so divide your time. A sensible order is to spend the first two weeks on the general part, because the vocabulary of literature makes the texts easier to analyse.

Group one: literary appreciation

Know your terms. The three main genres are prose, drama and poetry. Each has its own vocabulary.

• Prose: plot, setting, narrative point of view, characterisation, theme, flashback, foreshadowing.
• Drama: act, scene, soliloquy, aside, dramatic irony, tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, stage directions.
• Poetry: stanza, rhyme scheme, rhythm, imagery, tone, mood, persona.

Then learn the devices. The ones that appear most often:

When a question gives a line and asks for the device, ask: is there a comparison (with like or as)? A comparison without those words? A human action given to a non-human thing? That reasoning is faster than guessing.

Poetry questions: a repeatable method

Poetry looks scary because it feels open to opinion. In an objective exam, though, there is always evidence in the lines.

1. Read the poem twice. First for sense, second for tone.
2. State the theme in one short sentence: "loss", "pride in a place", "the passing of time".
3. Note two or three devices and what each adds.
4. Match the question to the evidence. If the option adds an idea the poem never mentions, it is wrong.

Try an original mini-passage:

The old drum sits silent now in the corner of the compound. Once it shouted the news of weddings and harvests. Now dust gathers where laughter used to rise.

A theme question might ask what the passage suggests. The change from "shouted" to "silent" and "laughter" to "dust" points to the decline of a tradition or a happier past. If the question asks about the device in "the drum shouted", the answer is personification.

Drama and prose: know the text, not just the plot

For each prescribed text, make a one-page profile with these headings:

• Setting and time: where and when.
• Main characters: one line each on what drives them.
• Key events: five to eight in order.
• Themes: three or four, each with one example scene.
• Style: point of view, language, notable devices.
• Memorable lines or turning points: only so you recall where they appear. You are never asked to reproduce long passages.

Then link characters to themes. A question that asks about the cause of a character's downfall is a theme question in disguise. Read the text with a pencil. Mark any scene where a decision changes the story.

If you read the text only once and then rely on notes, you will answer plot questions but miss the questions about tone, language and consequences. Plan a second, quicker read in the last month.

African and non-African literature

Prescribed texts are normally grouped as African and non-African, so keep them separate in your notes. Compare how each group treats common themes: tradition and change, power, family, justice. The comparison gives you language for questions on theme and also helps you remember which text a scene belongs to.

Common mistakes

1. Confusing the persona (speaker in a poem) with the poet.
2. Mixing up mood (the feeling in the reader) and tone (the attitude of the writer).
3. Answering from a film adaptation instead of the book.
4. Reading summaries for the wrong edition or year.
5. Ignoring the question's wording on "which of the following BEST describes".

A study schedule

To sharpen your reading in general, see English comprehension tips, which carry over directly to unseen passages.

Practise on screen

ExamPadi has free JAMB Literature practice with explanations and a timed CBT mode. Start with the 2025 JAMB Literature past questions, then check JAMB Literature topics to focus on for the areas we would prioritise. We cannot promise a score, but reading the books yourself is the habit that makes the most difference in this subject. Tonight, pick one text, open it, and read the first chapter.