2025/2026 Chemistry JAMB Syllabus is Out: Get Ready to Excel in UTME
Are you preparing for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME)? Great news! The official 2025 JAMB CBT syllabus has been released, and you’re at the right place to get all the details you need to succeed. This syllabus is your ultimate guide to understanding the topics, objectives, and expectations for each subject
OBJECTIVES OF CHEMISTRY SYLLABUS
(i) understand the basic principles and concepts in chemistry;
(ii) Interpret scientific data relating to chemistry;
(iii) deduce the relationships between chemistry and other sciences; and
(iv) apply the knowledge of chemistry to industry and everyday life.
RECOMENDED TEXT
1. Ababio, O. Y. (2009).New School Chemistry for Senior Secondary Schools (Fourth edition), Onitsha: Africana FIRST Publishers Limited.
2. Bajah, S.T.; Teibo, B. O., Onwu, G.; and Obikwere, A. Book 1 (1999).Senior Secondary Chemistry, Books 2 and 3 (2000). Lagos: Longman.
3. Ojokuku, G. O. (2012). Understanding Chemistry for Schools and Colleges, (Revised Edition), Zaria: Press-On Chemresources.
4. Odesina, I. A. (2008).Essential: Chemistry for Senior Secondary Schools,(2
nd Edition),Lagos: Tonad Publishers Limited.
5. Uche, I. O. Adenuga, I. J. and Iwuagwu, S. L. (2003).Countdown to WASSCE/SSCE, NECO, JME Chemistry,
Ibadan: Evans.
WHY YOU NEED JAMB SYLLABUS 2025
- Clear Roadmap for Success: The JAMB Chemistry syllabus gives you a detailed guide on what topics to study. It ensures you focus on the right areas, helping you avoid wasting time on irrelevant material.
- Helps with Topic Breakdown: Chemistry can be complex, but the syllabus breaks it down into manageable sections. It helps you understand the key concepts and which ones require more attention, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
- Boosts Confidence: Knowing what to expect in your exams increases your confidence. The syllabus gives you a clear picture of the topics you need to master, which reduces anxiety.
- Improves Time Management: By following the syllabus, you can create an effective study plan. Knowing what topics to prioritize will help you manage your study time efficiently and avoid last-minute cramming.
- Provides Focus for Revision: The syllabus highlights important topics that are often tested. This makes revision more productive and ensures you’re well-prepared for the exam.
- Aligns with JAMB’s Expectations: It shows exactly what the examiners expect you to know. By sticking to the syllabus, you ensure that your preparation aligns perfectly with the JAMB Chemistry exam format.
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DETAILED 2025/2026 JAMB SYLLABUS
1. Separation of Mixtures and
Purification of Chemical
Substances
(a) Pure and impure substances
(b) Boiling and melting points
(c) Elements, compounds and mixtures
(d) Chemical and physical changes
(e) Separation processes:
Evaporation, simple and fractional distillation, sublimation, filtration, crystallization, paper and column chromatography, simple and fractional crystallization, magnetization, decantation.
2. Chemical Combination
Laws of definite, multiple and reciprocal proportions, law of conservation of matter, Gay Lussac’s law of combining volumes, Avogadro’s law; chemical symbols, formulae, equations and their uses, relative atomic mass based on 12C=12, the mole concept and Avogadro’s number and stoichiometry of reactions.
3. Kinetic Theory of Matter and Gas Laws
(a) Phenomena to support the kinetic theory of
matter using
(i) melting,
(ii) vapourization
(iii) boiling
(iv) freezing
(v) condensation
in terms of molecular motion and Brownian movement.
(b) (i) The laws of Boyle, Charles, Graham and Dalton (law of partial pressure); combined gas law, molar volume and atomicity of gases.
(ii) The ideal gas equation (PV = nRT).
(iii) The relationship between vapour density of
gases and the relative molecular mass.
4. Atomic Structure and Bonding
(a) (i)The concept of atoms, molecules and ions, the works of Dalton, Millikan, Rutherford, Moseley, Thompson and Bohr.
(ii) Atomic structure, electron configuration, atomic number, mass number and isotopes; specific
examples should be drawn from elements of atomic number 1 to 20.
(iii) Shapes of s and p orbitals.
(b) The periodic table and periodicity of elements, presentation of the periodic table with a view to recognizing families of elements e.g. alkali metals, halogens, the noble gases and transition metals. The variation of the following properties: ionization energy, ionic radii, electron affinity and electronegativity.
(c) Chemical bonding.
Electrovalency and covalency, the electron configuration of elements and their tendency to attain the noble gas structure. Hydrogen bonding and metallic bonding as special types of electrovalency and covalency respectively; coordinate bond as a type of covalent bond as illustrated by complexes like
[Fe(CN)6]
3-
, [Fe(CN)6]
4-
, [Cu(NH3)4]
2+and
[Ag(NH3)2]
+
; van der Waals’ forces should be
mentioned as a special type of bonding forces
(d) Shapes of simple molecules: linear ((H2, O2,
C12, HCl and CO2), non-linear (H2O),
tetrahedral; (CH4) and pyramidal (NH3).
(e) Nuclear Chemistry:
(i) Radioactivity – Types and properties of
radiations
(ii) Nuclear reactions. Simple equations,
uses and applications of natural and
artificial radioactivity.
5. Air
(a) The natural gaseous constituents and their proportion in the air.
– nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, carbon
(IV) oxide and the noble gases (argon
and neon).
(b) Air as a mixture and some uses of the noble gas.
6. Water
(a) Water as a product of the combustion of hydrogen and its composition by
volume.
(b) Water as a solvent, atmospheric gases dissolved in water and their biological significance.
(c) Hard and soft water: Temporary and permanent hardness and methods of softening hard water.
(d) Treatment of water for town supply.
(e) Water of crystallization, efflorescence, deliquescence and hygroscopy. Examples of the substances exhibiting these properties and their uses.
7. Solubility
(a) Unsaturated, saturated and supersaturated solutions. Solubility curves and simple deductions from them, (solubility defined in terms of mole per dm3) and simple calculations.
(b) Solvents for fats, oil and paints and the use of such solvents for the removal of stains.
(c) True and False solutions (Suspensions and colloids): Properties and examples. Harmattan haze and water paints as examples of suspensions and fog, milk, aerosol spray, emulsion paints and rubber solution as examples of colloids.
8. Environmental Pollution
(a) Sources and effects of pollutants.
(b) Air pollution: Examples of air pollutants such as H2S, CO, SO2, oxides of nitrogen, chlorofluorocarbons and dust.
(c) Water pollution
Sewage and oil pollution should be known.
(d) Soil pollution: Oil spillage, biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants.
9. Acids, Bases and Salts
(a) General characteristics, properties and uses of acids, bases and salts. Acids/base indicators, basicity of acids; normal, acidic, basic and double salts. An acid defined as a substance whose aqueous solution furnishes H3O+ ions or as a proton donor. Ethanoic, citric and tartaric acids as examples of naturally occurring organic acids, alums as examples of double salts, preparation of salts by neutralization, precipitation and action of acids on metals. Oxides and trioxocarbonate (IV) salts
(b) Qualitative comparison of the conductance of molar solutions of strong and weak acids and bases, relationship between conductance and amount of ions present
(c) pH and pOH scale; Simple calculations
(d) Acid/base titrations.
(e) Hydrolysis of salts:
Simple examples such as
NH4Cl, AlCl3, Na2CO3and CH3COONa
10. Oxidation and Reduction – Redox
(a) Oxidation in terms of the addition of oxygen or removal of hydrogen.
(b) Reduction as removal of oxygen or addition of hydrogen.
(c) Oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer.
(d) Use of oxidation numbers. Oxidation and reduction treated as change in oxidation number and use of oxidation numbers in balancing simple equations.
(e) IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic compounds using oxidation number.
(f) Tests for oxidizing and reducing agents.
11. Electrolysis
(a) Electrolytes and non-electrolytes. Faraday’s laws of electrolysis.
(b) (i) Electrolysis of dilute H2SO4, aqueous CuSO4, CuC12 solution, dilute and concentrated NaC1 solutions and fused NaC1
(ii) Factors affecting discharge of ions at the electrodes.
(c) Uses of electrolysis:
Purification of metals e.g. copper and production of elements and compounds (Al, Na, O2, Cl2 and NaOH).
(d) Electrochemical cells:
Electrochemical series (K, Ca,Na, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Sn, Pb, H, Cu, Hg, Ag, Au,) half-cell reactions and electrode potentials. (Simple calculations only).
(e) Corrosion as an electrolytic process, cathodic protection of metals, painting, electroplating and coating with grease or oil as ways of preventing iron from corrosion.
12. Energy Changes
(a) Energy changes(∆H) accompanying physical and chemical changes: dissolution of substances in/or reaction with water e.g. Na, NaOH, K, NH4Cl. Endothermic (+∆H) and exothermic (-∆H) reactions.
(b) Entropy as an order-disorder phenomenon: simple illustrations like mixing of gases and dissolution of salts.
(c) Spontaneity of reactions: ∆Gѳ = 0 as a criterion for equilibrium, ∆G greater or less than zero as a criterion for non-spontaneity or spontaneity respectively.
13. Rates of Chemical Reaction
(a) Elementary treatment of the following factors which can change the rate of a chemical
reaction:
(i) Temperature e.g. the reaction between HCl and
Na2S2O3 or Mg and HCl
(ii) Concentration/pressure e.g. the reaction between HCl and Na2S2O3, HCl and marble and the iodine clock reaction, for gaseous systems, pressure may be used as
concentration term.
(iii) Surface area e.g. the reaction between marble and HCl with marble in
(i) powdered form
(ii) lumps of the same mass.
(iv) Catalyst e.g. the decomposition of H2O2 or KClO3 in the presence or absence of MnO2
(b) Reaction rate curves.
(c) Activation energy
Qualitative treatment of Arrhenius’ law and the collision theory, effect of light on some reactions. e.g. halogenation of alkanes
14. Chemical Equilibria
Reversible reactions and factors governing the equilibrium position. Dynamic equilibrium. Le Chatelier’s principle and equilibrium constant. Simple examples to include action of steam on iron and N2O4 2NO2. No calculation will be required.
15. Non-metals and Their Compounds
(a) Hydrogen: commercial production from water gas and cracking of petroleum fractions, laboratory preparation, properties, uses and test for hydrogen.
(b) Halogens: Chlorine as a representative element of the halogen. Laboratory preparation, industrial preparation by electrolysis, properties and uses, e.g. water sterilization, bleaching, manufacture of HCl, plastics and insecticides, Hydrogen chloride and Hydrochloric acid: preparation and properties. Chlorides and test for chlorides.
(c) Oxygen and Sulphur
(i) Oxygen:
Laboratory preparation, properties and uses. Commercial production from liquid air. Oxides: Acidic, basic, amphoteric and neutral, trioxygen (ozone) as an allotrope and the importance of ozone in the atmosphere.
(ii) Sulphur:
Uses and allotropes:
preparation of allotropes is not expected. Preparation, properties and uses of sulphur (IV) oxide, the reaction of SO2 with alkalis. Trioxosulphate (IV) acid and its salts, the effect of acids on salts of trioxosulphate (IV), Tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid: Commercial preparation (contact process only), properties as a dilute acid, an oxidizing and a dehydrating agents and uses. Test for SO4 2-
.
Hydrogen sulphide: Preparation and properties
as a weak acid, reducing and precipitating
agents. Test for S2-
(d) Nitrogen:
(i) Laboratory preparation
(ii) Production from liquid air
(iii) Ammonia:
Laboratory and industrial
preparations (Haber Process only),
properties and uses, ammonium salts
and their uses, oxidation of
ammonia to nitrogen (IV)
oxide and trioxonitrate (V) acid.
Test for NH4
+
(iv) Trioxonitrate (V)acid:
Laboratory preparation from ammonia; properties and uses. Trioxonitrate (V) salt- action of heat and uses. Test for NO3
–
(v) Oxides of nitrogen: Properties.
The nitrogen cycle.
(e) Carbon:
(i) Allotropes: Uses and properties
(ii) Carbon (IV) oxide:
Laboratory preparation, properties
and uses. Action of heat on
trioxocarbonate (IV) salts and test for
CO3
2-
(iii) Carbon (II) oxide:
Laboratory preparation, properties
including its effect on blood;
sources of carbon (II) oxide to
include charcoal, fire and exhaust
fumes.
(iv) Coal: Different types, products
obtained from destructive distillation of
wood and coal.
(v) Coke: Gasification and uses.
Manufacture of synthesis gas and uses.
16. Metals and their compounds
(a) General properties of metals
(b) Alkali metals e.g. sodium
(i) Sodium hydroxide:-
Production by electrolysis of brine, its action
on aluminium, zinc and lead ions.
Uses including precipitation of metallic
hydroxides.
(ii) Sodium trioxocarbonate (IV)
and sodium hydrogen trioxocarbonate (IV):
Production by Solvay process, properties
and uses, e.g. Na2CO3 in the manufacture of
glass.
(iii) Sodium chloride: its occurrence in
sea water and uses, the economic
importance of sea water and the
recovery of sodium chloride.
(c) Alkaline-earth metals, e.g. calcium;
calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide
and calcium trioxocarbonate (IV);
Properties and uses. Preparation of
calcium oxide from sea shells, the
chemical composition of cement
and the setting of mortar. Test for Ca2+
(c) Aluminium
Purification of bauxite, electrolytic
extraction, properties and uses of
aluminium and its compounds.
Test for A13+
(e) Tin
Extraction from its ores.
Properties and uses.
(f) Metals of the first transition series.
Characteristic properties:
(i) electron configuration
(ii) oxidation states
(iii) complex ion formation
(iv) formation of coloured ions
(v) catalysis
(g) Iron
Extraction from sulphide and oxide
ores, properties and uses, different forms
of iron and their properties and
advantages of steel over iron.
Test for Fe2+ and Fe3+
(h) Copper
Extraction from sulphide and oxide
ores, properties and uses of copper.
Preparation and uses of copper ( II )
Tetraoxosulphate (VI). Test for Cu2+
(i) Alloy
Steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze,
type-metal, duralumin, soft solder,
permallory and alnico (constituents and
uses only).
17. Organic Compounds
An introduction to the tetravalency of
carbon, the general formula, IUPAC
nomenclature and the determination of
empirical formula of each class of the
organic compounds mentioned below.
(a) Aliphatic hydrocarbons
(i) Alkanes
Homologous series in relation
to physical properties,
substitution reaction and a few
examples and uses of halogenated
products. Isomerism: structural only
(examples on isomerism should
not go beyond six carbon atoms).
Petroleum: composition, fractional distillation
and major products; cracking and reforming,
Petrochemicals – starting materials of organic
syntheses, quality of petrol and meaning of
octane number.
(ii) Alkenes
Isomerism: structural and geometric
isomerism, additional and
polymerization reactions, polythene
and synthetic rubber as examples of
products of polymerization and its use
in vulcanization.
(iii) Alkynes
Ethyne – production from action of
water on carbides, simple reactions and
properties of ethyne.
(b) Aromatic hydrocarbons e.g. benzene –
structure, properties and uses.
(c) Alkanols
Primary, secondary, tertiary – production
of ethanol by fermentation and from
petroleum by-products. Local examples
of fermentation and distillation, e.g.
gin from palm wine and other local
sources and glycerol as a polyhydric
alkanol.
Reactions of OH group – oxidation as a
distinguishing test among primary, secondary
and tertiary alkanols (Lucas test).
(d) Alkanals and alkanones.
Chemical test to distinguish between alknals and alkanones
(e) Alkanoic acids.
Chemical reactions; neutralization and
esterification, ethanedioic (oxalic) acid
as an example of a dicarboxylic acid
and benzene carboxylic acid as an
example of an aromatic acid.
(f) Alkanoates
Formation from alkanoic acids and
alkanols – fats and oils as alkanoates.
Saponification:
Production of soap and margarine from
alkanoates and distinction between
detergents and soaps.
(g) Amines (Alkanamines) Primary, Secondary,
and tertiary
(h) Carbohydrates
Classification – mono-, di- and polysaccharides;
composition, chemical tests for simple sugars
and reaction with concentrated
tetraoxosulphate (VI) acid. Hydrolysis of
complex sugars e.g. cellulose from cotton and
starch from cassava, the uses of sugar and
starch in the production of alcoholic
beverages, pharmaceuticals and textiles.
(i) Proteins:
Primary structures, hydrolysis and tests
(Ninhydrin, Biuret, Millon’s and
xanthoproteic)
Enzymes and their functions.
(j) Polymers:
Natural and synthetic rubber; addition and
condensation polymerization.
Methods of preparation, examples and uses.
Thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics.
18. Chemistry and Industry
Chemical industries: Types, raw materials and
relevance; Biotechnology
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