Yomi BlackIslamic Studies is examined at advanced level depth, a taught year beyond the school certificate. That is the sentence to hold onto, because the same subject examined by a different body at a different depth needs a different plan, and candidates who carry preparation across from one to the other lose marks they did not need to lose.
- Subject
- Islamic Studies
- Examined by
- IJMB
- Format here
- Written examinations per subject, with practicals where relevant, at the end of the programme
- Depth
- Advanced level depth, a taught year beyond the school certificate
- What the grade does
- An aggregate used for Direct Entry at 200 level, with recognition strongest among northern Nigerian universities
- Papers
- Objective and essay.
- Required for
- Islamic studies, Arabic, law at some institutions, and education courses
How IJMB examines this subject
The format is written examinations per subject, with practicals where relevant, at the end of the programme, and it is marked for points, aggregated across three subjects.
Three subjects only, so each carries a third of your aggregate and there is nowhere to hide a weak one.
What the subject covers
Use these topic areas as the frame for your own checklist, then verify the detail against the syllabus IJMB publishes itself, because depth and emphasis shift between curriculum cycles even when the headings do not.
- The Qur’an, selected surahs and their themes.
- The Hadith and the Sunnah.
- The life of the Prophet and early Islamic history.
- Tawhid and the articles of faith.
- Fiqh, worship and social transactions.
- Islamic ethics and contemporary application.
The paper structure, and how to weight your time
Objective and essay.
Split your preparation roughly in the proportion the components are weighted. Candidates habitually over-prepare the part they enjoy and meet the other part for the first time in the hall.
What makes it hard
The Fiqh section requires precision about rulings and conditions, and general knowledge of the faith does not substitute for it.
Set that against how this examination works. A taught year at an accredited centre, with the centre’s quality mattering more than any study technique you bring.
Where marks are lost in this subject
- Answering on the narrative and skipping the jurisprudence, which carries substantial marks.
- Imprecise transliteration of key terms.
- Leaving out the contemporary application the question asks for.
Treat Fiqh as the technical section it is. Conditions, categories and exceptions are what the marks attach to.
Turning it into a plan
- Get the current syllabus from IJMB and check the year range on the cover.
- Write one line per topic area, with a box beside it.
- Work a past paper in this examination’s format, written examinations per subject, and tag every question back to a line.
- Mark the lines your teaching has never covered. Those are the priority.
- Re-weight towards the component carrying the most marks. One academic session.
What a good grade here is worth
In this examination the grade is an aggregate used for Direct Entry at 200 level, with recognition strongest among northern Nigerian universities. Islamic Studies is required for Islamic studies, Arabic, law at some institutions, and education courses, and course requirements are checked subject by subject, so a strong overall result with a weak grade here is a disqualification for the course that names it rather than a near miss.
Questions candidates ask about Islamic Studies
What makes it hard?
The Fiqh section requires precision about rulings and conditions, and general knowledge of the faith does not substitute for it.
What is the most common way candidates lose marks?
Answering on the narrative and skipping the jurisprudence, which carries substantial marks.
Where do I get the official syllabus?
From IJMB, on its own site, free. Check the year range on the cover before you use it.
Has the syllabus changed?
Syllabuses are revised on published cycles and old ones stay online after they expire. If the copy you are holding has no year range, you do not know what you are holding.
How do I turn it into revision?
One line per topic area with a box beside it, then tick the lines off against past papers rather than against your notes. The lines that stay blank are the finding.
Is Islamic Studies compulsory?
No. It is a humanities subject, chosen as one of your electives, and you should choose it because a course you want names it.
What is it required for?
Islamic studies, Arabic, law at some institutions, and education courses.
How many papers are there?
Objective and essay.
Sources
- Interim Joint Matriculation Board, Ahmadu Bello University. www.abu.edu.ng