JAMB Literature in English tests your understanding of prose, drama and poetry. There are usually two components — set texts (prescribed books you must read) and general literary knowledge (figures of speech, literary terms, poetic forms).
The set texts change periodically, but questions on literary devices, figures of speech and poetic techniques appear every year regardless of the prescribed books. Mastering these gives you guaranteed marks before you even open a set text.
25 years available
2025
Practice
2024
Practice
2023
Practice
2022
Practice
2021
Practice
2020
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2019
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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2013
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2012
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2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2006
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2005
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2004
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2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
Practice
Topics Covered in JAMB Literature In English
Prose Fiction
Drama
Poetry
Figures of Speech
Literary Terms
African Literature
Nigerian Literature
Oral Literature
How to Improve in Literature In English
- Read your set texts more than once — the first read is for the story, the second read is for themes, characters and language
- Learn the definitions of at least 25 figures of speech — these are tested directly and frequently
- For poetry, always identify the tone, theme and major poetic devices before answering any question
- Always use timed mode — JAMB gives you roughly 40 seconds per question
- Read every explanation after submission — this is where the real learning happens
Questions About JAMB Literature In English
Read all prescribed set texts thoroughly and make notes on characters, themes and plot. For objective questions, memorise literary terms and figures of speech. Use past questions to identify which texts have been set before and what aspects of them were tested.
Select any year from the grid above to start a timed practice session. The quiz mirrors the real JAMB CBT format — questions displayed one at a time, a countdown timer, and automatic answer saving. After you submit, you get a detailed results page showing your score, which questions you got wrong, and explanations for each answer.