Now available for download, the complete JAMB syllabus for French 2025/2026 in a PDF format. You can as well read through the syllabus on this page. It contents all the topics which questions will be set from in UTME 2025.
Syllabus Overview
| Examination Type | UTME / Direct Entry |
| Examination Year | 2025/2026 |
| Syllabus | French |
| File Format | |
| File Size | 214KB |
The aim of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) syllabus in French is to prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination. If you are planning on taking on French in the forthcoming Jamb exams, then we recommending studying it.
General Objectives
The syllabus is designed to test candidates general ability to;
- Assess written comprehension in French;
- Apply the principles governing the structure and use of written French;
- Identify how French sounds work in speech production;
- Examine the culture of Francophone West Africa and France in relation (where possible) to home country.
Recommended: JAMB Syllabus 2025/2026 PDF Download
JAMB 2025 Syllabus for French
| TOPICS/CONTENTS/NOTES | OBJECTIVES |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Comprehension in French: – topics of general and emergent interest e.g. love, life, death, politics, marriage, health, communication, child trafficking, cultism, travel, corruption, money-laundering, etc. | Candidates should be able to; (i) deduce answers to questions on the content, intent and style of proposed texts, (ii) apply reasoning skills. |
| 2. Principles Governing the Structure and Use of Written French: I. Identification of basic form classes: (a) Nouns: simple/compound, Singular/plural, masculine/feminine. (b) Pronouns: personal, impersonal, demonstrative, possessive and relative. (c) Verbs: reflexive and non-reflexive, their moods and tenses. (d) Adjectives: qualifying, possessive, interrogative, demonstrative, indefinite (e.g. nul), numeral (e.g. dix) and ordinal (e.g. dixième.) (e) Adverbs: – common forms i) with-ment (e.g. lentement) ii) with préposition + noun (e.g. par avion, à cheval, en voiture, par bateau.) – special forms (e.g. bien, vite, mal, mieux, le mieux, pire, le pis, ne…que.) – types – manner (e.g. debout, facilement.) – purpose (e.g. pour + infinitive, afin de + infinitive.) – cause and consequence (e.g. pour+ infinitive perfect, à cause de + noun.) – concession (e.g. malgré +noun.) – place (e.g. y, en, ici, là, là-haut, partout.) – time (e.g. hier, aujourd’hui, avant-hier, après, demain, la veille, le matin, dans un mois.) (f) Prépositions: – simple (e.g. à, de, avec, avant, sur, dans.) – compound (e.g. à côté de, au milieu de.) (g) Conjunctions: – of co-ordination (e.g. mais, ou, et, donc, car, cependant, ne…ni.) – of subordination (e.g. afin que, quoique, à condition que, pour que, parce que.) (h) Articles: – definite, indefinite and partitive. (i) contraction e.g. à+le = au, à+les= aux etc. II. Assessment of vocabulary span: words in contemporary contexts meaning, use, opposites, synonyms III. Importance of word order in: (a) affirmative sentences (b) interrogative sentences (c) imperative sentences (d) passive voice formation IV. Identification and application of basic processes in language structure, e.g. (a) conjugation – in all tenses except l’imparfait du subjonctif, le passé composé du subjonctif, et…le plus-que-parfait du subjonctif. (b) negation (e.g. ne…pas, ne…plus, ne rien, nul ne, ne…ni..ni, ne…personne, personne…ne, aucun….ne, rien ne….etc.) (c) agreement (e.g. les beaux arts, il les a vues, les photos.) (d) pluralisation (e.g. cheval/chevaux, beau/beaux, belle/belles.) (e) derivation: -from adj, to adv – e.g. lent-lentement, -from adj. to adj. e.g. un – premier, -from adj. to noun – e.g. bon-bonté, riche richesse, etc -from one degree of comparison to another (using plus…que, moins….que, aussi….que e.g. plus grand que.) NB –special forms- (e.g. bon, meilleur, le meilleur, la meilleure, mauvais, pire, le pire.) V. Use of French in set expressions such as in proverbs, idioms and conventional structures as provided for in common speech acts: (a) proverbs (e.g. tel père tel fils, petit à petit l’oiseau fait son nid.) (b) idioms (e.g. avoir une faim de loup, crier sur le toit, mourir de peur.) (c) conventional stretches (e.g. enchanté, c’est dommage, c’est formidable, stationnement interdit, etc.) (d) Common figures of speech eg métaphore, simile, hyperbole. Métaphore – Mon père est un lion. Simile – Elle est maigre comme un clou. Hyberbole – Il avait tellement faim qu’il a mangé toute une Vache. (e) speech acts (e.g. proposer, conseiller, regretter, admirer, espérer, interroger, reprocher, s’accorder, etc.) | Candidates should be able to; i. identify what constitutes the basic structures of written French, ii. use the principles governing the structure of written French to determine acceptability, e.g. to transform one form; one class into another, iii. apply the structure to convey diverse messages Candidates should be able to; i. identify meaning of words ii. identify meaningful constructed sentences. |
| 3. Workings of French sounds via: (a) sound discrimination (e.g. tout/tu), (fais/fée.) (b) letter-sound correspondence (e.g. ai-/e/, eau/o/.) (c) syllabification (e.g. con/tente/ment.) (d) liaison (e.g. trois animaux, des enfants.) (e) sense groups in reading e.g. J’ai mal à la tête. J’ai mal/pas à la tête / mais au dos/. Comment vas-tu, Carol?// Comment vas- tu demain? (f) faux amis (e.g.librairie/library, rester/to rest, blesser/to bless.) (g) identification of sounds to determine similarity (e.g. maison/saison, dents/don,fond/ fonde.) | Candidates should be able to; (i) discriminate between French sounds, (ii) deduce meanings out of sound combinations, (iii) use the above to enhance effective communication, (iv) assess sound groupings in terms of how they are affected by such features as syllabification, liaison, e-caduc; pause, intonation, etc. |
Download JAMB 2025 Syllabus for French
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I download the JAMB French syllabus?
You can download the JAMB French syllabus in PDF format from our website by clicking on the download link.
Is the JAMB French syllabus the same every year?
No, the JAMB French syllabus may change from year to year. It's essential to download the latest syllabus for the current year.
Can I use the JAMB French syllabus to study for other exams?
While the JAMB French syllabus can provide a good foundation for studying French, it may not be comprehensive enough for other exams. Always check the specific syllabus for the exam you're preparing for.
What is the importance of the JAMB French syllabus?
The JAMB French syllabus is essential for candidates preparing for the UTME exam, as it outlines the topics and areas of study that will be covered on the exam.
