JAMB 2023 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

We hold 1,201 questions from the 2023 JAMB papers in 16 subjects, each with the answer and an explanation. Below are ten of them, from ten subjects, and then every 2023 paper we hold.

Ten JAMB 2023 questions with answers

1. From the Use of English paper

   1.

   In each of the following sentences, there is one underlined word. From the list of words lettered A to D, choose the one that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
   The test shows that the lumps are malignant.

   1. A
      benign
      Correct
   2. B
      chronic
   3. C
      malicious
   4. D
      cancerous
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   The instruction asks for the word most nearly opposite in meaning, not a similar word. In a medical report, malignant describes a lump or tumour that is cancerous, that grows and spreads to other parts of the body and threatens life.

2. From the Mathematics paper

   2.

   Evaluate $\frac{5}{8} - \frac{3}{4} ÷ \frac{5}{12} \times\frac{1}{4}$

   1. A
      $-\frac{3}{40}$
   2. B
      $\frac{7}{40}$
      Correct
   3. C
      $\frac{35}{64}$
   4. D
      $\frac{43}{40}$
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   This is a straight BODMAS question. Division and multiplication rank equally, so you clear them from left to right before you touch the subtraction sign.

   Step 1 – Divide: $\frac{3}{4} \div \frac{5}{12} = \frac{3}{4} \times \frac{12}{5} = \frac{36}{20} = \frac{9}{5}$
   Step 2 – Multiply: $\frac{9}{5} \times \frac{1}{4} = \frac{9}{20}$
   Step 3 – Subtract: $\frac{5}{8} - \frac{9}{20}$. The LCM of 8 and 20 is 40, so $\frac{25}{40} - \frac{18}{40} = \frac{7}{40}$.

   So the value of the expression is $\frac{7}{40}$.

3. From the Physics paper

   3.

   The branch of physics that deals with the motion of objects and the forces acting on them is called:

   1. A
      Thermodynamics
   2. B
      Electromagnetism
   3. C
      Mechanics
      Correct
   4. D
      Optics
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Mechanics is the branch of physics that studies the motion of objects and the forces that cause or change that motion. It covers topics such as Newton's laws of motion, work, energy, momentum, and equilibrium of forces — all dealing directly with how and why objects move.

   Thermodynamics is about heat, temperature and energy transfer, not motion or forces on bodies, so a candidate who picks it is confusing it with the study of energy in general rather than motion.

   Optics deals with the behaviour of light — reflection, refraction, lenses and mirrors — which has nothing to do with forces and motion.

4. From the Chemistry paper

   4.

   What is the product of the electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) using inert electrodes?

   1. A
      Hydrogen gas, chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide solution
      Correct
   2. B
      Hydrogen gas and sodium metal
   3. C
      Oxygen gas and sodium chloride crystals
   4. D
      Chlorine gas and metallic sodium
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   In aqueous NaCl, the ions available for discharge are Na⁺ and H⁺ (from water) at the cathode, and Cl^- and OH^- (from water) at the anode.

   At the cathode: Na⁺ is far too reactive to be discharged in preference to water, so H⁺ is reduced instead, releasing hydrogen gas and leaving OH^- ions behind.

   At the anode: although OH^- is theoretically easier to oxidise, Cl^- is discharged instead (an overpotential effect), releasing chlorine gas.

   With Cl^- and H⁺ removed as gases, the Na⁺ and OH^- ions accumulate in the solution, forming sodium hydroxide. This is exactly the industrial chlor-alkali process.

5. From the Biology paper

   5.

   The theory of evolution can be defined as

   1. A
      The sudden appearance of a new inheritable characteristic in an organism as a result of a change in its genes
   2. B
      The gradual and continuous change of organisms from simple to more complex forms over a long period of time, giving rise to new species
      Correct
   3. C
      The process by which organisms with favourable characteristics survive and reproduce more successfully than others in a given environment
   4. D
      The ability of an organism to adjust its structure or habit to suit a particular environment in order to survive
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   The theory of evolution is defined as the gradual and continuous change of living organisms from simple to more complex forms over a very long period of time, a process that has given rise to the variety of species we see today. This is the standard definition tested at UTME level, associated with scientists such as Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.

6. From the Government paper

   6.

   The Ijaw people of pre-colonial Nigeria were organized into?

   1. A
      Provinces of the Oyo Empire
   2. B
      Emirates under an Islamic caliph
   3. C
      A single centralised empire with one emperor
   4. D
      Independent city-states governed by a Amanyanabo and House system
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   Pre-colonial Ijaw communities of the Niger Delta were organised into independent city-states — such as Bonny, Kalabari and Nembe — each led by a paramount ruler called the Amanyanabo, with political and economic life organised around the 'war canoe house' system used for trade and defence.

7. From the Literature in English paper

   7.

   This question is based on SECOND CLASS CITIZEN.
   Who is Mr Cole?

   1. A
      Adah's employer in London
   2. B
      Adah's husband Francis
   3. C
      A British immigration officer
   4. D
      A Nigerian man Adah meets in England
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   Mr. Cole is a Nigerian man whom Adah encounters during her time in England. He is part of the Nigerian immigrant community in London and plays a role in the social world Adah navigates as she struggles against racial and gender discrimination in Second Class Citizen.

8. From the Economics paper

   8.The decision to consume more of one product under normal circumstances will apply
   1. A
      the law of diminishing returns
   2. B
      the law of equi-marginal utility (substitution between goods)
      Correct
   3. C
      the law of supply
   4. D
      the law of comparative cost advantage
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B

   A rational consumer, faced with a fixed budget, keeps reallocating spending toward whichever good gives more satisfaction per naira until the marginal utility per naira spent is equal across goods. This substitution rule — deciding to buy more of one product and less of another as conditions change — is the law of equi-marginal utility.

9. From the Christian Religious Studies paper

   9.

   In a diverse and multicultural society, civic responsibility includes

   1. A
      Promoting only one's own religious beliefs publicly
   2. B
      Imposing one's cultural values on all others
   3. C
      Avoiding interaction with different cultures
   4. D
      Respecting all people and obeying just laws
      Correct
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: D

   In a diverse and multicultural society, civic responsibility includes respecting the dignity of all people regardless of background and obeying just laws that maintain order and protect rights. This reflects the biblical teaching to honour all people (1 Peter 2:17) and to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7).

10. From the Commerce paper

    10.

    Parts payments made on alloted shares by subscribers is usually the

    1. A
       Premium money
    2. B
       Allotment money
       Correct
    3. C
       Application money
    4. D
       Call money
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: B

    When a company allots shares to subscribers, the payment due at the point of allotment is termed allotment money. Application money is paid earlier when applying, while call money refers to later installment demands made after allotment.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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