JAMB UTME - Use of English - 2025

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In The Lekki Headmaster, Stardom School decides to stop its usual democratic election process for selecting prefects because some students were engaging in negative campaigning. Instead of focusing on their qualifications and positive plans for the school, certain candidates resorted to mudslinging, character attacks, and other divisive tactics during the campaign period.

This negative behaviour undermined the purpose of the democratic exercise, which was intended to teach students about civic responsibility, leadership, and fair competition. The school administration concluded that the election process had become counterproductive and decided to discontinue it.

The other options do not match the novel's explanation. The school's decision was not prompted by a Ministry of Education mandate, a desire for teachers to appoint prefects, or demands from parents. The trigger was specifically the students' negative campaigning behaviour, which corrupted the election process and made it harmful rather than educational.

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The grammatical rule at the source of the disagreement between the MD and the principal (Bepo) was subject-verb agreement with phrases like "as well as." The dispute arose from the sentence "Ade as well as Jide comes early." The MD sided with the parent, Mr. Guta, believing the verb should be "come" (plural) to agree with both "Ade" and "Jide." The principal, Bepo, defended Mr. Fafore by explaining that the grammar was in fact correct.

The rule is that "as well as" is not a coordinating conjunction like "and." It does not create a compound subject. Instead, the verb agrees with the subject that precedes "as well as." In the sentence "Ade as well as Jide comes early," the main subject is "Ade" (singular), so the singular verb "comes" is correct. If the sentence used "and" instead ("Ade and Jide come early"), then the plural verb "come" would be required.

This is a commonly misunderstood grammar point, and the novel uses it to illustrate how confident but incorrect assumptions about language can have serious consequences, including the wrongful dismissal of a competent teacher.

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The word "boot" contains the vowel sound /uː/, a long close back rounded vowel. This is the same prolonged "oo" sound heard in words like moon, tool, and food.

Examining each option:

• cold contains the diphthong /əʊ/ (as in "go"), which is entirely different from /uː/.
• food contains /uː/, the same long vowel as in "boot". Both words share the identical vowel quality and length.
• top contains the short vowel /ɒ/ (as in "hot"), a short open back vowel - not a match.
• book contains /ʊ/, a short close back vowel. Although "oo" appears in the spelling, the sound in "book" is shorter and more lax than the /uː/ in "boot".

The correct answer is food, because its vowel sound /uː/ is identical to that in "boot".

Exam tip: Do not rely on spelling to match vowel sounds. "Book" and "boot" share the same vowel letters but have different pronunciations. Always sound the words out to compare the actual vowel quality.

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Porous means having tiny holes or gaps that allow liquid, air, or other substances to pass through. In the context of this sentence, "porous security network" means a security system full of weaknesses and gaps that allowed the robbers to gain access.

The word opposite in meaning is impermeable, which means not allowing fluid or other substances to pass through; completely sealed. An impermeable security network would have no gaps or weaknesses - the direct opposite of a porous one.

The other options are not antonyms:

• amorphous means without a clearly defined shape or form. This describes structure, not permeability.
• gorgeous means beautiful or very attractive. It has no connection to the concept of permeability or security gaps.
• pervious means allowing water or other substances to pass through - this is a synonym of porous, not an opposite.

Note the trap in this question: pervious looks like it could be an antonym because of the prefix, but it actually means the same as porous. The true opposite is impermeable (or impervious).

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The expression "it is high time" is a fixed English idiom that signals an action is overdue and should have happened already. Grammatically, it demands the past simple tense (subjunctive mood) in the clause that follows, even though the meaning refers to the present or future.

The correct sentence is: "It is high time you stopped visiting that friend of yours."

This use of the past tense after "it is high time" is an example of the English subjunctive, where the past form expresses an unreal or hypothetical situation rather than actual past time. The speaker means "you should stop now" or "you ought to have stopped already," but the grammar requires the past form.

"Should stop," "stop," and "must stop" might seem logical based on meaning, but they do not follow the grammatical rule for this particular construction. Similar expressions that take the past subjunctive include "it is about time" and "if only" (e.g., "If only I knew").

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This question tests understanding of Bepo's central motivation in the novel. Despite his deep attachment to teaching and to Nigeria, Bepo ultimately decides to leave the country in order to reunite with his family and avoid marital collapse.

Bepo's wife, Seri, had already moved abroad, where she worked as a nurse. The prolonged separation placed enormous strain on their marriage, and Bepo eventually recognised that remaining in Nigeria would cost him his family. His decision to leave was therefore not driven by personal ambition or career advancement but by the need to preserve his marriage and maintain his family unit.

This motivation is central to the novel's themes. Bepo does not leave to pursue further education, to escape insecurity, or because of unresolved conflict. His departure is an act of personal sacrifice - he gives up the profession and country he loves because the alternative is losing his family. The novel uses this dilemma to illustrate how the brain drain is not always about economic opportunity but can also be driven by deeply personal circumstances.

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This question tests recall of a key detail about a central character. Bepo's wife, Seri, practised as a nurse while living abroad. Nursing is one of the most common professions through which Nigerian women migrate to countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, due to persistent global demand for healthcare workers.

Seri's career as a nurse abroad is significant to the plot because it was her relocation for work that created the physical distance between her and Bepo. This separation placed strain on their marriage and ultimately became the driving force behind Bepo's own decision to leave Nigeria. Her nursing career thus represents both the opportunity that migration offers and the personal cost it imposes on families left behind.

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The founder, Chief Aje, hired Bepo personally after a one-on-one discussion, unlike many others who faced the school's interview panels. This can be found on page 56 of the novel. 

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This question asks about a specific factual detail from the novel concerning the school election at Stardom.

According to the novel, the cost of the form for the position of Head Boy or Head Girl in the school election at Stardom was N50,000. This amount was charged to students who wished to contest for the leadership positions, reflecting the commercialised nature of certain school processes depicted in the story.

The other amounts mentioned are not consistent with what the novel states. The correct figure is N50,000, which the author uses to comment on how even student leadership positions in some schools come with financial barriers that may exclude capable students from less privileged backgrounds.

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Banky and Tosh are SSS2 students who have a rivalry that dates back to JSS 3. Both students clashed in the Best Dancer category at the end-of-year party but Banky was crowned winner. This led Tosh's to threaten a lawsuit because they felt slighted. This can be found on page 42 of the novel.

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Mrs. Ladele was watching a movie where she was captivated by an "imminent bubble burst." Unknown to the doctor in the film, the doctor's husband was responsible for the pregnancy of the doctor's best friend. Mrs. Ladele was watching this painful truth unfold when she heard Bibi's scream. This can be found on page 22 of the novel.

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"Foot-dragging" is an idiomatic expression that means deliberately delaying action or being slow and reluctant to do something that needs to be done. It comes from the image of someone literally dragging their feet while walking, moving as slowly as possible because they do not want to reach their destination.

In the sentence, the character's foot-dragging "pushed his marriage to the brink." This means his reluctance to act promptly on an important matter caused so much damage that his marriage was nearly destroyed. The context makes it clear that the delay was harmful, not thoughtful or productive.

The other options are the opposite of what the idiom means:

• "Quick decision making" is the direct opposite of foot-dragging.
• "Unnecessary excitement" has no connection to delay or reluctance.
• "Thoughtful consideration" might sound similar to taking one's time, but foot-dragging implies unhelpful stalling, not careful reflection. The negative consequence (pushing marriage to the brink) confirms that this was irresponsible delay, not wise caution.

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In The Lekki Headmaster, the novel highlights the state of public healthcare in Nigeria through its depiction of General Hospitals. One of the key challenges cited is the problem of large crowds. Patients and their families flood these hospitals, leading to long waiting times, overstretched staff, and difficulty accessing timely medical attention.

Overcrowding in Nigerian public hospitals is a well-known issue that the novel uses to illustrate broader societal challenges. The other options, while they may be problems in various settings, are not the specific challenge the novel identifies at the General Hospitals. The text points to the sheer volume of people as the primary difficulty.

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The Chairman uses the simile that having such a large cooperative fund is like hanging a snake in the roof and going to bed. This vivid image conveys the idea of living with a hidden danger: a snake suspended overhead could drop down at any time, making sleep reckless and unsafe.

Applied to the cooperative funds, the simile means that allowing such a large sum of money to accumulate in a staff-run cooperative, with limited oversight, creates a lurking risk for the school. The money could be misused, embezzled, or cause division among staff. Just as a sensible person would not sleep beneath a suspended snake, the Chairman argues that the school should not ignore the potential dangers posed by an inadequately supervised cooperative holding N95 million.

The other similes are not the one used by the Chairman in the novel. Building castles in the air, lighting a fire in a haystack, and giving a sword to your enemy are all different expressions with different meanings. The snake-in-the-roof image is the specific one the Chairman employs to describe the situation.

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Emphatic stress marks the word that carries the corrective or contrasting information. The stressed word answers the part of the preceding question that was wrong.

In the sentence "The doctor examined the patient with a STETHOSCOPE," the stress falls on STETHOSCOPE. This means the speaker is emphasising the instrument used - it was a stethoscope, not some other device.

The question that would prompt this emphasis must be one that names the wrong instrument. The question "Did the doctor examine the patient with a microscope?" suggests a microscope was used, and the speaker's stressed response corrects this to STETHOSCOPE. The other options change different elements of the sentence: the person examined ("matron" instead of "patient"), who did the examining ("nurse" instead of "doctor"), or the action ("cure" instead of "examine"), none of which would require stressing the instrument.

The correct answer is the question that mentions a microscope instead of a stethoscope.

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This question tests vocabulary comprehension within the context of the passage. The word roforofos is a Nigerian Pidgin English expression, and the question asks what it means based on how Mr Audu uses it when discussing Mr Bepo.

In Nigerian Pidgin, roforofo refers to petty disagreements and conflicts - minor, often messy quarrels or squabbles that are typically undignified or trivial in nature. The word carries a connotation of messiness and pettiness, suggesting disputes that are more irritating than consequential. When Mr Audu uses this term in relation to Mr Bepo, he is referring to the small-scale conflicts and disagreements that Mr Bepo has encountered or been involved in.

The word does not mean friendly greetings, school projects, or mismanagement issues. Understanding its meaning requires either prior familiarity with Nigerian Pidgin or the ability to infer meaning from the context in which Mr Audu uses it in the passage. The use of Pidgin vocabulary in the novel reflects the everyday language of the Nigerian setting in which the story takes place.

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Stardom Schools managed to greatly reduce lateness by lowering its boarding fees from N250,000 to N165,000 per session. This incentive led over 80 percent of parents to move their children to the boarding house, resulting in almost all students arriving by 7:45am for assembly. This can be found on page 6 of the novel. 

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The sentence "As trained teachers, Joke teaches _______ better than Jumoke" contains the comparative adverb "better." The blank requires a word that can modify and intensify this comparative form.

The correct answer is far. "Far" is one of the adverbs that can intensify comparatives, producing "far better," which means "much better" or "considerably better." The sentence means that Joke's teaching ability significantly exceeds Jumoke's.

The other options cannot correctly modify a comparative:

• "Too" means excessively and modifies adjectives and adverbs in their base form ("too loud," "too fast"), not comparatives.
• "Very" also modifies base adjectives and adverbs ("very good," "very well"), not comparative forms. "Very better" is not standard English.
• "More" would create a double comparative ("more better"), which is grammatically incorrect since "better" is already the comparative form of "good/well."

Other adverbs that can modify comparatives include much, even, still, a lot, and significantly.

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Mr Bepo is a principal (headmaster) at Stardom Schools in Lekki, Lagos. The title of the novel itself, The Lekki Headmaster, directly identifies his profession. Throughout the story, Bepo is shown carrying out the duties of a school head: overseeing academic programmes, managing staff, handling student discipline, organising excursions, and making administrative decisions about school fees and facilities.

His identity as a school principal is central to the novel's conflict. Bepo's love for teaching and school leadership is what makes his potential emigration so agonising. He is not merely employed at the school; he is emotionally and professionally invested in its success and in the futures of his students. His profession grounds the novel's exploration of what Nigeria stands to lose when its committed professionals leave the country.

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Students gave Mr. Ayesoro the nickname "Mr Owala" because of his tribal marks. In Yoruba, "Owala" is a term used to describe a person with deep or prominent facial scarification. Mr. Ayesoro's tribal marks are described as being particularly deep and striking, and the students coined this nickname based on his appearance.

The nickname reflects how children can be direct and sometimes unkind in their observations about physical appearance. In the novel, Mr. Ayesoro's tribal marks become a defining feature of how others perceive him, eventually contributing to his transfer from the classroom when a younger student is frightened by his appearance.

The other nicknames (Mr Ologbo, Mr Egun, and Mr Omole) are not the ones used in the novel. "Owala" specifically relates to facial marks in Yoruba culture, making it the most fitting and the one the text attributes to Mr. Ayesoro.

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The expression "a man of letters" is an established English idiom. It refers to a person who is deeply involved in literary and scholarly pursuits - someone distinguished in the world of literature, whether as a writer, critic, or scholar. The phrase has nothing to do with the literal act of writing or receiving postal letters.

Among the options, the one stating that Peter is a great literary artist correctly captures the meaning of this idiom. A "man of letters" is someone recognised for literary achievement or scholarly learning, which aligns with the idea of being a literary artist.

The options about letter writing as a hobby or writing letters frequently interpret the phrase literally, missing its idiomatic meaning entirely. The option about liking to read a lot is closer but still too narrow; "a man of letters" implies active participation in literary culture, not merely reading.

Exam tip: When a sentence uses an idiomatic expression, resist the temptation to interpret the words literally. Identify the figurative meaning the phrase carries in standard English usage.

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This comprehension question moves beyond simple recall to test inference and character analysis. It asks what Mr Bepo's refusal to relocate to the United Kingdom reveals about his core values as a person.

Mr Bepo's reluctance to relocate reveals that he prioritises his students and professional relationships. Despite the clear financial incentive to join his wife in the UK, where she earns significantly more than he does in Nigeria, Mr Bepo chooses to remain because of the bonds he has formed with his students and colleagues. His identity and sense of purpose are deeply tied to his role as an educator, and he is unwilling to abandon the people who depend on him for a higher salary.

His reluctance does not indicate that he values financial security over personal fulfilment - in fact, the opposite is true, since staying in Nigeria means accepting a lower income. He is not avoiding difficult decisions; he has made a deliberate and considered choice. Nor does the passage suggest he feels unprepared for a new environment. His decision is a positive, values-driven one rooted in his commitment to teaching and to the community he serves.

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The idiom "put a spoke in someone's wheel" means to deliberately obstruct or sabotage someone's plans. The image comes from inserting a rod (spoke) into a wheel to prevent it from turning, thereby stopping progress.

In this sentence, the boy accused his friend of thwarting the execution of his plan - that is, of deliberately interfering to prevent his plan from succeeding.

"Making jest of him" means mocking, which is not what the idiom conveys. "Spoiling his bicycle wheel" takes the expression literally rather than figuratively. "Destroying his move of getting a new wheel" also interprets the phrase too literally and invents a scenario about purchasing a wheel that the idiom does not describe.

The correct meaning is that the friend deliberately obstructed or thwarted his plan.

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This sentence uses the third conditional (also called the past unreal conditional), which describes a hypothetical situation in the past and its imagined result. The structure is: If + past perfect, would have + past participle.

The if-clause here is "If I had worked hard" (past perfect: had + past participle worked). This tells us the speaker did not actually work hard. The main clause must therefore express the unreal result using would have + past participle.

The past participle of "score" is scored. The correct completion is therefore would have scored, giving: "If I had worked hard, I would have scored very high marks in the exam."

The other options fail for specific grammatical reasons:

• would have score pairs "would have" with the bare infinitive instead of the past participle; after "would have," English requires the past participle form (scored).
• will score is the simple future tense and belongs in first-conditional sentences about real future possibilities, not past hypotheticals.
• can score expresses present ability or possibility and is incompatible with a past-perfect if-clause.

When you see an if-clause in the past perfect tense, always pair it with would have + past participle in the main clause.

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According to the novel, the boarding fee per session at Stardom Schools is 165,000 naira. This specific amount is mentioned in the context of the school's efforts to make boarding facilities more accessible to parents and students.

The boarding fee is a practical detail that grounds the novel in the economic realities of private education in Nigeria. It reflects the school administration's awareness that affordability is a key concern for parents. The specific figure helps readers understand the financial dynamics of running a private school in Lagos and the kinds of decisions that administrators like Bepo must make to balance quality education with the financial constraints of the families they serve.

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Two words rhyme when they share the same vowel and final consonant sounds from the stressed vowel onward. Home is pronounced /hoʊm/, so a rhyming word must end with the sound /oʊm/.

Consider each option:

• come - pronounced /kʌm/. The vowel is /ʌ/, not /oʊ/, so it does not rhyme despite the similar spelling.
• groan - pronounced /groʊn/. It shares the /oʊ/ vowel but ends in /n/, not /m/.
• comb - pronounced /koʊm/. The "b" is silent, and the word ends with /oʊm/, which matches "home" exactly.
• horn - pronounced /hɔːn/. Different vowel and different final consonant.

The correct answer is comb, because /koʊm/ and /hoʊm/ share the same ending sound /oʊm/.

Exam tip: English spelling is often misleading for rhyme questions. Always compare the sounds of the words, not their spellings. "Come" looks like it should rhyme with "home" but does not, while "comb" (with its silent "b") does.

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This comprehension question asks about the reward system at Stardom School for teachers whose students achieved distinctions. The passage describes how the school management used financial incentives to motivate teachers towards excellent results.

Teachers whose students scored distinctions in their subjects were given thirty thousand naira each as a reward. This monetary incentive was part of the school's performance-based approach to staff motivation, directly linking teacher compensation to student outcomes.

The other options do not match the passage. The amount was not twenty thousand naira, nor were the teachers given only bottles of wine or commendation letters. The specific monetary figure is a detail that tests careful reading of the passage. The reward system also serves to contrast with the reprimand given to teachers whose students performed poorly, highlighting the school's dual approach of incentives and accountability.

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The Ignatius family's relocation plans were disrupted when a DNA test revealed that Mr. Ignatius was not Favour's biological father. Favour is their fifteen-year-old daughter, and this discovery shattered the family. The revelation led to a severe domestic crisis in which Mr. Ignatius (also referred to as Mr. Ibe in the narrative) told Mrs. Ignatius and Favour to leave the house.

This plot development is one of the novel's most dramatic moments. The family had been preparing for emigration, with Mrs. Ignatius even learning new vocational skills. However, the DNA result brought everything to a halt, as the personal turmoil it caused made relocation impossible. The incident illustrates how unforeseen personal crises can derail even the most carefully laid plans.

The other options do not reflect what happened in the novel. Mr. Ignatius did not lose his job, Mrs. Ignatius did not simply change her mind, and their visa application was not denied. The disruption was entirely personal in nature, arising from the DNA test result.

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Chastised means reprimanded severely; scolded, criticised, or punished for wrongdoing. The sentence tells us the team was criticised by their employers despite their efforts at the tournament.

The word opposite in meaning is honoured, which means regarded with great respect, praised, or rewarded. While being chastised means receiving blame and criticism, being honoured means receiving praise and recognition - a direct contrast.

The other options are not appropriate antonyms:

• rebuked means sharply criticised or reprimanded - this is a synonym of chastised, not an opposite.
• dethroned means removed from a position of authority or power. While negative, it relates to losing power rather than being criticised.
• denounced means publicly condemned or declared wrong - another synonym of chastised.

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The underlined letters in shadow are sh, which produce the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ʃ/. This is the "shushing" sound heard in words like "ship," "shoe," and "shout."

Now consider each option:

• sure - the "s" in "sure" is pronounced /ʃ/, exactly the same sound as "sh" in "shadow."
• match - the "tch" produces /tʃ/ (an affricate), which combines a stop with a fricative and is a different sound from /ʃ/.
• chemistry - the "ch" is pronounced /k/, not /ʃ/.
• scheme - the "sch" is pronounced /sk/, not /ʃ/.

The correct answer is sure, because the "s" in "sure" produces the same /ʃ/ sound as "sh" in "shadow."

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The conclusion that the teachers drew from Mr. Fafore's sack incident was that there is no job security in the establishment. Mr. Fafore, a competent English teacher who had not actually made a grammatical error, was dismissed on the spot because of a parent's complaint. Even though his grammar was later shown to be correct, the fact that he could be fired so quickly and without proper investigation sent a clear message to the rest of the staff.

The incident demonstrated to the teachers that their jobs were precarious. Any parent could walk into the MD's office with a complaint, and the management might side with the parent and dismiss the teacher immediately, regardless of whether the complaint was justified. This created a climate of insecurity and anxiety among the staff, particularly around events like Open Day when parents have direct access to management.

The other conclusions are not what the novel attributes to the teachers. While they may have found Open Day stressful, the specific takeaway from the Fafore incident was about job insecurity. The ideas that parents should not interfere or that the MD is always fair are also not conclusions the teachers reached; if anything, the incident suggested the opposite.

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The protagonist of The Lekki Headmaster is Mr Adewale Adebepo, commonly referred to as Mr Bepo throughout the novel. He is the headmaster of Stardom Schools in Lekki, Lagos, and the entire narrative revolves around his experiences, professional life, and the personal dilemma he faces regarding migration to the United Kingdom.

Bepo is portrayed as a dedicated, passionate educator who has invested years of effort into building Stardom Schools into a reputable institution. His character embodies the tension between professional fulfilment at home and the allure of opportunities abroad. The novel follows his journey as he navigates this internal conflict while managing the daily realities of running a school, mentoring students, and maintaining relationships with colleagues and family.

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The novel uses the term Japa Syndrome to discuss the effects of migration. "Japa" is a Yoruba word meaning "to run" or "to flee," and in contemporary Nigerian usage, it refers to the mass emigration of Nigerians, especially skilled professionals, to countries perceived to offer better opportunities.

By framing the migration phenomenon as the Japa Syndrome, the novel situates Bepo's personal dilemma within a wider national crisis. The term implies not just movement but urgency and desperation, capturing the sense that professionals feel compelled to leave rather than choosing freely. The novel explores how this syndrome affects institutions like schools, families, and communities, showing that when individuals like Bepo consider leaving, the consequences ripple outward far beyond the individual. The use of a distinctly Nigerian term also grounds the discussion in local context rather than treating migration as an abstract global issue.

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"Red-tapism" is a term derived from "red tape," which refers to excessive bureaucracy, rigid adherence to official procedures, and unnecessary administrative formality that slows things down and frustrates people trying to get things done.

The statement "Red-tapism is found everywhere" means that excessive official formality is everywhere. The "-ism" suffix turns "red tape" into an ideology or systemic practice, emphasising that this is not ordinary formality but excessive formality, the kind that creates obstacles rather than serving any useful purpose.

The distinction between the correct answer and similar-sounding alternatives is important:

• "Official formality is everywhere" omits the critical word "excessive." Red-tapism is not merely about formality; it is specifically about formality that has become burdensome and counterproductive. Ordinary official formality is normal and necessary; red-tapism describes the harmful excess.
• "Red tape worm is found everywhere" is a literal misreading. Red-tapism has nothing to do with worms; it is a figurative term for bureaucratic excess.
• "Red tapes are everywhere" takes the phrase too literally, as if physical red tapes exist. The expression is metaphorical.

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In The Lekki Headmaster, Mr. Ogo's story ends with his arrest for murder. Mr. Ogo is a character whose actions throughout the novel lead him down a dark path, and his eventual arrest represents the consequences of the criminal activities he becomes involved in.

His fate serves as a cautionary element in the novel. While other characters pursue migration or try to navigate the difficult Nigerian education system through legitimate (if sometimes desperate) means, Mr. Ogo's trajectory shows what happens when a person crosses fundamental moral and legal boundaries. His arrest for murder is the ultimate consequence of his choices.

The other outcomes listed do not apply to Mr. Ogo. He does not successfully relocate to the UK, become a pastor, or open a new private school. His story arc in the novel concludes with criminal accountability, reinforcing the author's moral framework in which serious wrongdoing leads to serious consequences.

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Personification is a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics, actions, or qualities to non-human things. In the expression "a rock carrying three other rocks on its head," the rock is described as though it were a person: it "carries" objects and has a "head." Rocks are inanimate geological formations that do not possess heads and cannot carry things in the way people do.

This description draws on the distinctive granite formations of Jos, in Nigeria's Plateau State, where large boulders naturally rest atop one another in seemingly impossible configurations. By describing these formations using human imagery, the writer brings the landscape to life and makes the scene vivid and engaging for the reader.

This is not a simile because no comparison is made using "like" or "as." It is not hyperbole because the description does not exaggerate - the rock formations in Jos genuinely do sit atop one another. It is not irony because there is no contradiction between what is said and what is meant.

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His wife, Seri, was a nurse who, according to rumours, was earning up to 10,000 pounds per month. This can be found on page 11 of the novel. 

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This comprehension question tests recall of a character detail from the passage. Several staff members at Stardom School are described with distinguishing characteristics, and the question asks which one also serves as a pastor outside of their teaching role.

The staff member who is also a pastor is Mr Ope Wande. The passage identifies him as having a dual role - he serves the school as a teacher while also functioning as a pastor. This dual identity is significant in the narrative, as it positions him as a figure of both academic authority and spiritual guidance within the school community.

The other teachers listed - Mr Justus Anabel, Mr Audu, and Mr Obong Ukake - are not described as having pastoral roles. Careful reading of the character descriptions in the passage is essential to match each teacher with their correct attributes.

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This question tests the student's understanding of a specific grammatical issue raised by Bepo in the novel.

Bepo, being an English teacher with a keen eye for language, noticed that the school's name contained a grammatical error. The name "Beesway Group of School" uses the singular "School" where the plural "Schools" is required. Since the institution comprises a group (i.e., more than one school), the correct form should be "Beesway Group of Schools." The preposition "of" followed by a countable noun referring to multiple entities demands the plural form.

The issue was not about the spelling of "Beesway," the absence of a hyphen, or the use of capital letters. It was specifically about number agreement: the word "School" should be "Schools" to reflect the fact that a group necessarily consists of more than one unit.

This is a common grammatical error in Nigerian English usage, where singular forms are sometimes used where plural forms are required after collective nouns.

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This comprehension question asks about Mr Bepo's monthly salary at Stardom Schools. The passage provides this financial detail as part of its broader commentary on teacher remuneration in Nigeria and the economic motivations behind the japa trend.

Mr Bepo's monthly salary at Stardom Schools was N400,000 (four hundred thousand naira). While this is a reasonable salary for a school principal in a Lagos private school, it pales in comparison to what his wife Seri earns as a nurse in the United Kingdom. This salary gap is central to the novel's exploration of why Nigerian professionals choose to emigrate and why some, like Mr Bepo, choose to stay despite the financial disadvantage.

The other amounts - N200,000, N600,000, and N1,000,000 - are not what the passage states. The specific figure of N400,000 is a detail that requires careful attention when reading the text, and it anchors the reader's understanding of Mr Bepo's financial situation relative to opportunities abroad.

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Vehemently means with great force, passion, and intensity of feeling. When someone opposes something vehemently, they do so with powerful conviction and strong emotion.

The word opposite in meaning is carelessly, which means without thought, attention, or concern. Opposing something carelessly implies doing so without passion or conviction - the direct contrast to opposing it with intense feeling.

The other options are not true opposites:

• emphatically means with forceful expression or emphasis - this is a synonym of vehemently, not an antonym.
• strongly means with great force or intensity - also a synonym, not an opposite.
• coldly means without warmth or emotion. While it suggests a lack of passion, it still implies deliberateness, whereas carelessly better captures the absence of the forceful concern that vehemently conveys.

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Mr Bepo first applied for the position of the school's English Teacher. He was to teach SSS1-3. This was revealed during the MD's farewell speech and can be found on pages 56-57 of the novel. 

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This question is from a comprehension passage about bird behaviour, specifically about how flocks of finches move and feed.

Finches are small seed-eating birds that typically travel in flocks for safety and social interaction. However, when they land on trees to feed, individual birds spread out along different branches searching for insects or seeds. As each bird follows its own foraging path through the branches, members of the flock naturally drift apart from one another. This dispersal during feeding is what causes the flock to become separated.

The other options do not accurately describe the cause of separation as presented in the passage. Injury from other birds, hunger after separation, and fleeing from predators are not the reasons the passage gives. The separation happens naturally and gradually as the finches hunt for food among the branches of trees, each bird moving independently to find its own insects or seeds.

The correct answer is when they hunt for insects or seeds on the branches of trees.

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This question tests comprehension of a specific event in the novel that highlights the contrast between healthcare systems. When Sola's daughter Betty was hospitalised in the UK, the gesture that most impressed Sola was the speed of the emergency response: emergency care arrived in under five minutes.

For Sola, who had lived in Nigeria where emergency medical services are often slow or unreliable, the efficiency and promptness of the UK healthcare system was remarkable. The rapid response time demonstrated a level of medical infrastructure and organisation that she had not experienced before. This moment serves as a turning point in the narrative, reinforcing the practical advantages of living abroad and contributing to the novel's exploration of why Nigerian professionals choose to remain in countries like the UK despite the personal and cultural costs of migration.

The other options - free medication, a job offer for her husband, or transfer to a private hospital - do not correspond to the specific detail highlighted in the text.

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Facile means appearing neat and comprehensive but lacking depth or careful thought; superficial, simplistic, or too easily achieved. A facile generalisation is one that oversimplifies a matter without engaging with its real complexity.

The word opposite in meaning is complex, which means consisting of many interconnected parts; not simple or straightforward. A complex generalisation would be one that engages with the full difficulty and nuance of a subject - the direct opposite of a facile, oversimplified one.

The other options do not serve as antonyms:

• broad means wide in scope or extent. A generalisation can be both broad and facile, so this is not an opposite.
• quiet means making little noise or said in a soft voice. This describes volume or manner of speaking, not the quality of thought behind a statement.
• careful means done with attention and thought. While closer to an antonym than the other two, it describes the process rather than the nature of the generalisation itself; complex more directly opposes the superficiality that facile implies.

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The Lekki Headmaster portrays the issue of Japa as a personal and moral dilemma. The novel does not present emigration as a straightforward good or bad decision. Instead, through Mr Bepo's experience, it shows that the choice to leave Nigeria involves a deep conflict between personal benefit and moral responsibility.

Bepo genuinely wants better opportunities for himself and his family, but he also feels a moral obligation to his students, his school, and his country. He knows that his departure will leave a gap in the institution he has built and in the lives of the young people who depend on him. The novel frames this as a dilemma precisely because both sides have legitimate claims: the desire for personal advancement is valid, and so is the sense of duty to one's community. By treating Japa as a moral question rather than a simple economic calculation, the novel elevates the national conversation and encourages readers to consider the full human dimensions of the migration phenomenon.

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Flexible means willing to change, adapt, or compromise; capable of bending without breaking. A flexible person adjusts their position or approach easily.

The word opposite in meaning is rigid, which means stiff, unyielding, and not able to be changed or adapted. A rigid manager would be one who refuses to adjust or compromise on any matter - the direct opposite of being flexible.

The other options are not the best antonyms:

• evasive means tending to avoid commitment or providing clear answers. This describes dishonesty or avoidance, not inflexibility.
• serious means showing earnest thought or concern. A person can be both serious and flexible, so this is not an opposite.
• unbendable is close in meaning to rigid and could seem like a valid antonym, but rigid is the standard, well-established antonym of flexible in English usage. Both rigid and unbendable suggest inflexibility, but rigid is the more conventional and widely recognised opposite.

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The central challenge Mr Bepo faces throughout The Lekki Headmaster is balancing his career as a school headmaster with the intense pressure to migrate abroad. His wife and various social forces urge him to relocate to the United Kingdom, where presumably better economic prospects await. However, Bepo is deeply committed to Stardom Schools, his students, and the Nigerian educational system.

This tension between staying to serve his community and leaving for personal advancement defines Bepo's character arc. He is torn between loyalty to his profession and homeland on one hand, and family expectations and the promise of a more comfortable life abroad on the other. The novel uses this personal struggle to examine the broader phenomenon of brain drain in Nigeria, where skilled professionals leave the country, depriving it of talent and leadership in critical sectors like education.

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During the school excursion to Badagry, the students visited multiple significant historical locations: the First Storey Building, the Slave Market, and the Point of No Return. All three sites are real historical landmarks in Badagry, Lagos State, that bear witness to the transatlantic slave trade and early colonial contact in Nigeria.

The First Storey Building is the earliest multi-storey structure in Nigeria, built by missionaries in the 19th century. The Slave Market is where enslaved Africans were gathered and traded before being shipped across the Atlantic. The Point of No Return marks the final departure point on the coast where enslaved people were loaded onto ships, never to return to their homeland. The novel uses this excursion to connect the students with Nigeria's history and to draw a subtle parallel between the forced migration of the slave trade era and the voluntary but pressure-driven migration (Japa) of the present day.

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The text states that "at the sight of a bird of prey, a small bird will give its flying predator call as an alarm to other birds in the neighbourhood".

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This cloze test question requires the word that correctly fills gap 8. The passage discusses the United Nations Security Council, and gap 7 has been filled with "peace" to form part of the phrase describing the Council's mandate.

The correct word is security. The complete phrase is "international peace and security," which is the standard formulation used throughout the UN Charter to describe what the Security Council exists to maintain. This is a fixed collocation in international law and diplomacy.

The other options do not complete the phrase correctly:

• "Safety" is a general English word but is not the term used in UN Charter language. "Peace and safety" is not the standard diplomatic formulation.
• "Unity" does not pair with "peace" in this context. While unity is a desirable goal, it is not the specific term the Charter uses alongside peace.
• "Progress" refers to advancement or development, which is a separate concern from the Security Council's primary mandate of maintaining peace.

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This question asks about Mr Bepo's primary motivation for organising excursions for his students at Stardom.

Mr Bepo organises excursions because he wants to give his students a thorough understanding and appreciation of their own country before they eventually travel abroad. He believes that young Nigerians should know the richness of their homeland, its history, culture, natural beauty, and challenges, so that they carry that knowledge and pride with them wherever they go in the world.

This motivation is consistent with the novel's broader themes about brain drain, emigration ("japa"), and the importance of national identity. Mr Bepo is not primarily trying to promote the school, prepare students for geography examinations, or encourage tourism. His aim is fundamentally patriotic and educational: he wants the students to have a deep, personal connection to Nigeria before they leave.

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In English, emphatic stress highlights the word that carries the most important new or contrasting information in a sentence. The stressed word is the one that corrects, clarifies, or contrasts with something previously stated or implied.

In the sentence "They came with me to the MEETING," the stress falls on MEETING. This means the speaker is emphasising the destination or event - they went to a meeting, not to some other event. The stress corrects or contrasts the type of event.

The question that would prompt this response must be one that gets the event wrong. Among the options, the question "Did they come with me to the party?" suggests a different event (a party), which the speaker corrects by stressing MEETING. The other questions change other elements of the sentence (whether they came, how they arrived, or who came), which would require stress on different words, not on MEETING.

The correct answer is the question that asks about coming to the party, since the emphatic stress on MEETING corrects that element.

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Natives means people who were born in or originally belong to a particular place. They are the indigenous or original inhabitants of a region.

The word opposite in meaning is foreigners, which means people who come from or belong to another country or place. While natives are people of the land, foreigners are people from elsewhere - a direct contrast.

The other options are not the best antonyms:

• immigrants are people who come to live permanently in a foreign country. While immigrants are not natives, the word specifically refers to permanent relocation, making it narrower than foreigners.
• indigenes means the same thing as natives - original inhabitants. It is a synonym, not an antonym.
• visitors are people who come to a place temporarily. While visitors are not natives, the word focuses on the temporary nature of a stay rather than foreign origin.

Foreigners is the most direct and general antonym of natives because it simply means people who belong to another place.

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In The Lekki Headmaster, Bepo chooses to renew his passport in Ibadan rather than Lagos because he wants to avoid the notoriously long queues at the Lagos passport office. Lagos, being Nigeria's largest city and commercial capital, has an extremely high volume of passport applicants, leading to overcrowding, long waiting times, and a generally frustrating experience at its immigration offices.

By opting to travel to Ibadan instead, Bepo hopes for a quicker, less stressful process. This practical decision also serves a narrative purpose: the journey to Ibadan gives the author an opportunity to describe the road, the landscape, and Bepo's reflections along the way, including the poem that comes to his mind as he approaches the city.

The other reasons offered - cost differences, family connections in Ibadan, or an official transfer - are not the motivation the novel provides. Bepo's decision is purely practical: he wants to bypass the chaos of the Lagos passport office.

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The novel references a well-known figure from Nigerian history: Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther (c. 1809-1891). Crowther is historically recognised as the person who translated the Bible into the Yoruba language, making the Christian scriptures accessible to millions of Yoruba-speaking people.

Born in Osogun in present-day Oyo State, Crowther was captured by slave raiders as a child but was freed by the British Royal Navy and subsequently educated by Christian missionaries in Sierra Leone. He went on to become the first African to be ordained as an Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Beyond Bible translation, Crowther made lasting contributions to the development of Yoruba as a written language by producing grammar books and dictionaries.

The other options name real Nigerian historical figures but are not associated with Bible translation. Samuel L. Akintola was a politician in Nigeria's First Republic. Herbert Macaulay was a nationalist leader often called the father of Nigerian nationalism. Samuel Caulker, while a notable name in West African history, is not linked to Yoruba Bible translation.

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Irony occurs when there is a gap between expectation and reality. In The Lekki Headmaster, the novel uses situational irony to critique migration by showing how the anticipation and excitement surrounding the decision to move abroad contrasts sharply with the actual hardships migrants face upon arrival.

Characters in the novel look forward to leaving Nigeria with great optimism, imagining that life overseas will be better in every way. However, the reality they encounter - or that is reported back to them - involves difficult working conditions, social isolation, discrimination, and the loss of professional status. This gap between the hopeful departure and the harsh reality is the irony the novel highlights.

The novel does not argue that migration is always a failure, nor does it suggest that people universally regret leaving Nigeria. It also does not claim that Nigerian schools are superior to foreign institutions. Instead, it takes a more nuanced position by using irony to reveal that the dream of migration often does not match the lived experience, prompting readers to question the assumptions behind the desire to leave.

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The word convalescent has four syllables: con-va-LES-cent. The primary stress falls on the third syllable: /ˌkɒnvəˈlesənt/.

This word derives from the Latin convalescere ("to grow strong"). In English, the stress pattern places the primary accent on "-LES-," which is the syllable that is spoken most prominently. The first syllable "con-" carries a secondary (weaker) stress, while "-va-" and "-cent" are unstressed.

Stressing the first syllable (CONvalescent), the second (conVAlescent), or the fourth (convaleSCENT) would produce incorrect pronunciations that do not match standard English usage.

The correct stress pattern is convaLEscent.

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Pernicious means having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. It describes something that causes serious damage or injury, often without being immediately obvious.

The word nearest in meaning is noxious, which means harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant. Both pernicious and noxious describe something that causes harm or damage.

The other options are antonyms of pernicious:

• beneficial means producing good results or helpful effects - the direct opposite of harmful.
• harmless means not able or likely to cause damage or injury - the direct opposite of pernicious.
• benign means gentle, kindly, or (of a medical condition) not harmful - again the opposite.

Note that pernicious carries a stronger connotation than simply "bad"; it implies insidious, creeping harm. Among the options, noxious captures this harmful quality most accurately.

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This cloze test question requires the word that correctly fills gap 14. The passage discusses the United Nations Security Council's powers and procedures for resolving international disputes.

The correct word is settlement. The UN Charter, in Chapter VI, deals with the pacific settlement of disputes. Article 33 calls upon parties to a dispute to seek a solution by negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or other peaceful means. "Settlement" is the standard term used to describe the resolution of a dispute through peaceful means.

The other options do not match the standard UN Charter language:

• "Agreement" is a possible outcome of settlement but is not the specific term the Charter uses for the broader process of resolving disputes.
• "Consent" refers to giving permission or approval, which is a different concept from the resolution of a dispute.
• "Condition" means a requirement or circumstance, not a resolution process. It does not fit the context of dispute resolution.