If you registered for the 2025 JAMB UTME, then it means you are already preparing and revising ahead of the examination. To guide candidates as they study, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has released syllabi for all subjects, including French. These syllabi are designed to give you a clear direction on what to focus on while revising.
For those writing French, this syllabus is especially important. In this post, you will find the complete and detailed JAMB syllabus for French, available for free PDF download. You will also find a helpful list of recommended texts you should use when preparing for your French paper.
The JAMB Syllabus for French will help you understand not only the topics to cover but also how best to approach them for maximum success.
JAMB Syllabus for French 2025
| Topic | Sub-Topics |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Comprehension in French | Topics of general and emergent interest: love, life, death, politics, marriage, HIV/AIDS, communication, child trafficking, cultism, travel, corruption, money laundering, etc. |
| 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, types, and special forms (e.g., bien, vite, mal, mieux, le mieux, pire, le pis, ne…que). | |
| (f) Prepositions: simple (e.g. à, de, avec, avant, sur, dans), compound (e.g. à côté de, au milieu de). | |
| (g) Conjunctions: coordination (e.g. mais, ou, et, donc), subordination (e.g. afin que, quoique, à condition que). | |
| (h) Articles: definite, indefinite, and partitive. | |
| II. Assessment of Vocabulary Span: Words in contemporary contexts, including meaning, use, opposites, and 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: | |
| (a) Conjugation in all tenses except certain exceptions. | |
| (b) Negation: ne…pas, ne…plus, ne…rien, etc. | |
| (c) Agreement: e.g., les beaux arts, il les a vues les photos. | |
| (d) Pluralisation: e.g., cheval/chevaux, beau/beaux. | |
| (e) Derivation: from adjectives to adverbs, adjectives to nouns, and comparison forms (e.g., plus grand que). | |
| V. Use of French in Set Expressions: Proverbs (e.g., tel père tel fils), idioms (e.g., avoir une faim de loup), conventional structures (e.g., enchanté). | |
| 3. Workings of French Sounds | (a) Sound discrimination (e.g., tout/tu), (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). | |
| (f) Faux amis (e.g., librairie/library, rester/to rest). | |
| 4. Culture and Civilization | Characteristics of the educational system, socio-economic life, political organization, and cultural life of Francophone Africa and France. |
| Comparison: Comparing these features with those of the home country (where possible). |
Recommended Texts For JAMB French 2025
A. Written Language
- Ajiboye, T. (2014) Companion to French Grammar (4th Edition), Ibadan: Cleavoketa Books
- Ajiboye, T. (2012) Nouvel Horizon, Book 4, New Revised Edition, Ibadan: Bounty Press
- Byrne and Churchill (1980) A Comprehensive French Grammar
- Hatier (1980) Le Nouveau Bescherelle: L’Art de Conjuguer, Ibadan: Spectrum Book Ltd.
- Maice, G. et Merlo, G. (1998) Grammaire progressive du français (Niveau intermédiaire), Paris: Clé International
- Mazauric, C. et Sirejols, E. (2006) On y va! Book 3, Ibadan: Spectrum Books Ltd.
- Ojo, S. A. (2000) A Comprehensive Revision Handbook of French Grammar, Ibadan: Agoro Publishing Company
B. Oral French
- Ajiboye, T. (2010) An Introduction to Practice in Oral French, Ibadan: Bounty Press
- Leon, M. (1978) Initiation à la Prononciation du Français Standard
C. Culture of Francophone Countries
- Girod, R. and Grand-Clement, F. (1979) Comment vivent les Français, Paris: Hachette
- Mbuko, L. (2000) French Essays on Culture and Civilization for Schools and Colleges, Ibadan: Bounty Press
- Any other relevant materials, such as French newspapers, magazines, journals, and documents on Francophone life.
D. Dictionaries
- Harrap’s French-English Dictionary (Recommended for revision)
Also, consider JAMB past questions for French. These past questions will give you an insight into the format and style of questions typically asked in the exams.
Nous vous souhaitons bonne chance!
If you have any questions about the syllabus or need clarification on any topic, feel free to drop them in the comments section, and we will be glad to help. You can also share this page with other candidates, as we have provided the complete JAMB 2025 syllabi for all subjects.
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