JAMB Biology practice: free CBT questions with explanations
UTME Biology spans the variety of living things and classification, cells and their properties, nutrition, transport, respiration and excretion, support and reproduction, coordination and hormones, ecology (including Nigerian biomes), genetics and heredity, evolution, and disease and immunity.
In the UTME CBT, Biology is one of your three subjects besides Use of English: 40 questions, inside a 2-hour paper of 180 questions scored out of 400.
CrackIt has 574 original Biology questions across 22 syllabus topics (180 easy, 251 medium, 143 hard), each with an explanation in English and Pidgin.
5 free JAMB Biology practice questions
Original questions from our bank, written to the syllabus. Tap “Show answer” to check yourself.
Q1. Variety of organisms: classification and the five kingdoms
Organisms that are heterotrophic, possess a cell wall made of chitin, and absorb their nutrients externally belong to the kingdom:
- AAnimalia
- BProtista
- CPlantae
- DFungi
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Answer: D. Fungi
Fungi are distinct from plants because they lack chlorophyll and have chitinous cell walls instead of cellulose, absorbing nutrients through saprophytic or parasitic nutrition.
Pidgin: Fungi different from plants because dem no get chlorophyll and dia cell wall na chitin, plus dem dey absorb dia food from outside.
Q2. Cell properties: diffusion, osmosis, active transport, plasmolysis
A red blood cell placed in distilled water will eventually burst, whereas a plant cell placed in the same distilled water will become turgid but not burst. The primary reason for this difference is the presence of:
- Amore hemoglobin in the red blood cell
- Ban active transport mechanism in the animal cell
- Ca rigid cellulose cell wall in the plant cell
- Da large central vacuole in the plant cell
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Answer: C. a rigid cellulose cell wall in the plant cell
Plant cells have a tough, rigid cellulose cell wall that exerts wall pressure to counterbalance turgor pressure, preventing lysis. Animal cells lack this protective wall and burst when excess water enters.
Pidgin: Plant cell get strong cell wall wey dey hold am make e no burst when water enter. Animal cell no get that wall, na im make red blood cell dey burst for distilled water.
Q3. Nutrition in animals: food classes, digestion and enzymes
Which of the following describes the correct match of an extracellular enzyme and its final digestion product?
- AMaltase and galactose
- BLipase and glycerol plus fatty acids
- CSucrase and glucose plus mannose
- DPepsin and polypeptides into cellulose
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Answer: B. Lipase and glycerol plus fatty acids
Lipase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes lipids (fats and oils) into their end products, which are glycerol and fatty acids. Maltase breaks maltose into two glucose molecules, not galactose.
Pidgin: Na only lipase break down fat and oil into glycerol and fatty acid. Maltase dey break maltose to glucose, no be galactose.
Q4. Excretion: kidney, skin, lungs and excretion in plants
In the human skin, which of the following layers is majorly composed of dead, keratinized cells that provide a tough, water-resistant barrier against mechanical injury and pathogen invasion?
- AStratum corneum
- BMalpighian layer
- CSubcutaneous layer
- DStratum germinativum
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Answer: A. Stratum corneum
The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermis, consisting of dead, flattened cells filled with keratin. This layer prevents excessive water loss and acts as a barrier against physical and microbial damage.
Pidgin: Stratum corneum na the top layer of skin wey full of dead cells and keratin; e dey protect body like shield make water no dry up and make germs no enter.
Q5. Growth and development, germination
Which of the following changes typically occurs in the dry mass of a germinating seed before the emergence of the first green foliage leaves?
- ASteady increase in dry mass
- BInitial decrease followed by an increase
- CConstant dry mass
- DSteady decrease in dry mass
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Answer: D. Steady decrease in dry mass
Before leaves emerge and photosynthesis begins, the seed relies entirely on stored food reserves. Respiration breaks down these stored reserves, releasing carbon dioxide and causing a net loss in dry mass.
Pidgin: Before green leaf come out to start making food, the seed dey use the food wey e don store inside. As respiration dey happen, the dry weight go dey reduce.
Topics covered
- Variety of organisms: classification and the five kingdoms (30)
- Cell structure, organelles and levels of organisation (27)
- Cell properties: diffusion, osmosis, active transport, plasmolysis (23)
- Nutrition in plants: photosynthesis and mineral requirements (22)
- Nutrition in animals: food classes, digestion and enzymes (27)
- Transport in plants and animals: blood, heart, xylem and phloem, transpiration (22)
- Respiration: aerobic, anaerobic and respiratory organs (23)
- Excretion: kidney, skin, lungs and excretion in plants (27)
- Support and movement: skeleton, joints, muscles, plant support tissues (28)
- Reproduction in plants and animals (27)
- Growth and development, germination (27)
- Coordination: nervous system, reflex action and sense organs (29)
- Hormones in animals and plants (31)
- Ecology: ecosystems, food chains, food webs and energy flow (29)
- Nutrient cycles and ecological factors (26)
- Population ecology, adaptation and tropical biomes in Nigeria (30)
- Pollution, conservation and natural resources (28)
- Variation and heredity: Mendelian genetics, crosses and ratios (22)
- Sex determination, sex-linked traits, blood groups and genetic disorders (31)
- Evolution: theories and evidence (27)
- Diseases, parasites and immunity (30)
- Biotechnology and applied genetics (8)
How to score higher in Biology
- Genetics crosses (ratios, blood groups, sex-linked traits) are reliable marks. Draw the Punnett square every time, even when it looks easy.
- Ecology and conservation questions often use Nigerian examples. Know the vegetation zones and their typical plants and animals.
- Make a one-page table of organs and their functions for each body system. Many questions test exactly that link.
Done with practice? See the cut-off marks for 25 universities or check your chances with the admission chance checker.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are in JAMB UTME Biology?
In the UTME CBT, Biology is one of your three subjects besides Use of English: 40 questions, inside a 2-hour paper of 180 questions scored out of 400.
Are these real past questions?
No. CrackIt's 574 Biology questions are original, written to the official JAMB syllabus, and each has a worked explanation. CrackIt is not affiliated with JAMB, WAEC or NECO.
Is CrackIt free and does it work offline?
Yes. Practice by topic, timed tests and the Daily 10 are free, and once the app has loaded it works without data.
Can I read the explanations in Pidgin?
Yes. Every Biology explanations have a Pidgin version: tap “Pidgin” under the answer.