JAMB UTME Literature in English CBT Answers to Questions 2027/2028 is Available

Important updates on JAMB Literature in English Questions and Answers. Practice sample Questions, Explanations and Preparation Guide. If you wish to score over 300 in your JAMB UTME, this is an opportunity for you. Make Literature in English one of your subjects with the highest score in JAMB.

JAMB Literature in English exam is more than just knowing the writers and their works by heart. Candidates are expected to know the various literary genres and apply literary properties. They should also be able to analyze literary themes, characters, setting and other literary elements.

This article provides over 40 JAMB Literature in English Practice Questions and Answers and how to Use JAMB Literature Syllabus for your our study.

Importantly, please note that all the Literature is English questions provided in this article are independently created for study purposes. Candidates must note that these are NOT leaked JAMB Literature questions, NOT official JAMB examination questions and we are NOT in any way suggesting that these questions will be exact questions in the forthcoming UTME.

JAMB Literature in English at a Glance

Literature in English is one of the subjects that candidates can write for in UTME. Depending on the course that the candidate is aspiring to get into, the Literature in English may be a compulsory subject for him/her.

As indicated in the JAMB Literature in English syllabus for UTME candidates, the subject aims at familiarizing candidates with literary principles, developing their appreciation of literary works in various genres and in different cultures, and also enabling them to apply literary knowledge in real life situations.

Before you choose Literature in English as a subject for your UTME, it is important to know the requirements for the course you want to offer in your desired institution. Go to JAMB’s Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS) and check the eligibility for the course you want to offer.

JAMB UTME Official Literature in English Syllabus and What to Study

JAMB’s official syllabus for Literature in English for UTME is provided on the body’s website as well as on the Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS) platform of JAMB’s official website. The syllabus outlines the objectives as well as the broad subject content for the subject.

JAMB Integrated Brochure and Syllabus System (IBASS)

1. Drama

The syllabus covers areas such as:

Types of drama, including tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, melodrama and farce

Dramatic techniques and stagecraft

Characterisation and dialogue

Soliloquy and aside

Plot, theme and setting

Interpretation of prescribed texts

Candidates should understand not only the definitions of dramatic terms but also how they function in literary works.

2. Prose

Prose study generally requires an understanding of:

Fiction and non-fiction

Narrative techniques

Characterisation

Plot and setting

Point of view

Theme and style

Interpretation of prescribed prose texts

3. Poetry

Candidates should be prepared to study:

Types and forms of poetry

Poetic devices

Sound techniques

Imagery and symbolism

Theme, tone and mood

Interpretation and appreciation of poems

4. General Literary Principles

Literary terms and concepts are important across drama, prose and poetry. The official syllabus specifically includes concepts such as foreshadowing, suspense, monologue, dialogue, soliloquy, symbolism, protagonist, antagonist, satire and figures of speech.

5. Literary Appreciation

Candidates may be required to interpret unseen passages or extracts from drama, prose and poetry, identify literary devices and relate ideas in a text to real-life experiences.

How to Use This JAMB Literature in English Questions and Answers Guide

A useful approach is to:

Read each question without checking the answer.

Choose an option based on your understanding.

Read the explanation carefully.

Review the underlying literary concept.

Return to questions you missed after studying the topic again.

The aim is to build literary understanding , not merely memorize answer letters.

40 JAMB Literature in English Objective Questions and Answers

Below are multiple-choice JAMB Questions and Answers on Literature in English:

Questions on Drama

Question 1

What is a tragedy?

A. A play that ends in marriage and celebration

B. A serious play involving the downfall or suffering of a central character

C. A short humorous performance

D. A play performed without dialogue

Answer: B

Explanation: A tragedy is generally a serious dramatic work that deals with human suffering, conflict or the downfall of a significant character.

Question 2

A speech made by a character alone on stage that reveals the character’s thoughts is called a

A. dialogue

B. aside

C. soliloquy

D. chorus

Answer: C

Explanation: A soliloquy allows a character to express inner thoughts aloud, usually when alone on stage.

Question 3

A brief remark intended for the audience or another character but not heard by other characters on stage is an

A. aside

B. act

C. climax

D. flashback

Answer: A

Explanation: An aside creates a temporary communication that other characters within the dramatic situation are assumed not to hear.

Question 4

The sequence of events in a play is known as the

A. setting

B. plot

C. theme

D. style

Answer: B

Explanation: Plot refers to how events and actions are arranged and connected in a literary work.

Question 5

The central idea explored in a literary work is its

A. conflict

B. dialogue

C. theme

D. scenery

Answer: C

Explanation: A theme is the underlying idea, concern or message explored through characters and events.

Question 6

A comedy is primarily associated with

A. a serious downfall and catastrophe

B. humour and a generally favourable resolution

C. the supernatural only

D. historical documentation

Answer: B

Explanation: Comedy commonly uses humour and often moves toward reconciliation or a positive resolution, although individual works may vary.

Question 7

A character who opposes the protagonist is usually called the

A. narrator

B. antagonist

C. confidant

D. chorus

Answer: B

Explanation: The protagonist is the central character, while the antagonist creates or represents opposition or conflict.

Question 8

The physical background and visual arrangement of a stage production are most closely related to

A. scenery and décor

B. climax and resolution

C. narration and point of view

D. rhyme and rhythm

Answer: A

Explanation: Scenery and décor contribute to the visual presentation of the dramatic setting.

Questions on Prose

Question 9

A novel differs from a short story mainly because a novel usually

A. contains no characters

B. has greater length and scope

C. must be written in verse

D. has only one theme

Answer: B

Explanation: Novels generally provide more space for plot development, characters and settings than short stories.

Question 10

The person who tells a story is the

A. protagonist

B. narrator

C. antagonist

D. playwright

Answer: B

Explanation: The narrator is the voice or person through which a story is presented.

Question 11

A story told using “I” and “we” is most likely written from the

A. first-person point of view

B. second-person point of view

C. third-person point of view

D. dramatic point of view

Answer: A

Explanation: First-person narration uses pronouns such as “I” and “we” and presents events from the narrator’s perspective.

Question 12

A character who changes significantly as a result of events in a story is described as

A. static

B. flat

C. dynamic

D. anonymous

Answer: C

Explanation: A dynamic character undergoes significant development or change during the story.

Question 13

The time and place in which a story occurs constitute its

A. setting

B. diction

C. conflict

D. climax

Answer: A

Explanation: Setting includes both the location and the period or time in which events occur.

Question 14

A conflict within a character’s mind is called

A. external conflict

B. internal conflict

C. social conflict

D. dramatic irony

Answer: B

Explanation: Internal conflict involves a psychological or emotional struggle within a character.

Question 15

The highest point of tension in a conventional plot is the

A. exposition

B. climax

C. introduction

D. setting

Answer: B

Explanation: The climax is the point of greatest tension or a major turning point in the development of the plot.

Question 16

When a writer hints at an event that may occur later in a story, the technique is

A. satire

B. foreshadowing

C. parody

D. dialogue

Answer: B

Explanation: Foreshadowing provides clues or suggestions about future developments in a narrative.

Questions on Poetry

Question 17

The repetition of similar consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby words is

A. alliteration

B. assonance

C. irony

D. symbolism

Answer: A

Explanation: Alliteration is commonly illustrated by repeated initial consonant sounds.

Question 18

A comparison that uses “like” or “as” is a

A. metaphor

B. simile

C. paradox

D. euphemism

Answer: B

Explanation: A simile makes an explicit comparison, often using “like” or “as.”

Question 19

“The moon smiled at the village” is an example of

A. personification

B. understatement

C. allusion

D. pun

Answer: A

Explanation: Personification gives human qualities or actions to something non-human.

Question 20

A direct comparison in which one thing is described as another is a

A. metaphor

B. simile

C. hyperbole

D. irony

Answer: A

Explanation: A metaphor makes an implied or direct comparison without using “like” or “as.”

Question 21

The dominant feeling created in a reader by a poem is its

A. mood

B. stanza

C. rhyme

D. persona

Answer: A

Explanation: Mood refers to the atmosphere or emotional response a literary work creates.

Question 22

The speaker or voice presented in a poem is known as the

A. persona

B. publisher

C. audience

D. antagonist

Answer: A

Explanation: The persona is the voice or assumed speaker of a poem and should not automatically be treated as identical to the poet.

Question 23

A group of lines forming a unit in a poem is called a

A. paragraph

B. stanza

C. chapter

D. scene

Answer: B

Explanation: A stanza is a grouped set of lines in poetry, often functioning like a paragraph in prose.

Question 24

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words is called

A. consonance

B. assonance

C. alliteration

D. onomatopoeia

Answer: B

Explanation: Assonance involves the repetition of similar vowel sounds.

Questions on Literary Devices and Principles

Question 25

A symbol in literature is best described as

A. a meaningless decoration

B. an object, image or action that represents an additional idea

C. the name of the author

D. a type of paragraph

Answer: B

Explanation: Symbols often carry meanings beyond their literal identity, depending on their context in the work.

Question 26

The deliberate use of humour or ridicule to expose human weakness or social problems is

A. satire

B. elegy

C. suspense

D. romance

Answer: A

Explanation: Satire uses ridicule, humour or criticism to expose and comment on faults or problems.

Question 27

A statement that appears self-contradictory but may contain a deeper truth is a

A. paradox

B. climax

C. refrain

D. monologue

Answer: A

Explanation: A paradox brings together apparently contradictory ideas to create meaning or provoke thought.

Question 28

An exaggerated statement used for emphasis is

A. hyperbole

B. symbolism

C. irony

D. metonymy

Answer: A

Explanation: Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration and is not usually intended to be understood literally.

Question 29

Suspense in a literary work primarily keeps the reader

A. confused about the language only

B. curious about what may happen next

C. unaware of the characters

D. focused only on the setting

Answer: B

Explanation: Suspense creates anticipation and uncertainty about