Examination on Civic Education
Class: JSS 3
Term: First Term
Time: 1 Hour
Total Marks: 70

SECTION A: OBJECTIVES (40 Marks)
Instruction: Answer all questions.

1. ________ is a body of rules and principles by which a state is governed. (a) Law (b) Constitution (c) Decree (d) Edict
2. The first constitution introduced by the colonial government in Nigeria was the (a) Lyttleton Constitution (b) Richard Constitution (c) Clifford Constitution (d) Macpherson Constitution
3. The Clifford Constitution was introduced in what year? (a) 1946 (b) 1922 (c) 1951 (d) 1960
4. Which of the following constitutions introduced regionalism in Nigeria? (a) Clifford Constitution (b) Macpherson Constitution (c) Richard Constitution (d) Lyttleton Constitution
5. The Macpherson Constitution was promulgated in what year? (a) 1954 (b) 1946 (c) 1951 (d) 1960
6. All of these are features of colonial constitutions except (a) promotion of self-governance (b) limited franchise (c) strong central control (d) protection of British interests
7. Which of these does NOT describe a feature of colonial constitutions? (a) They were imposed (b) They granted full autonomy (c) They created legislative councils (d) They defined powers of government
8. The constitution that introduced the position of a Governor-General in Nigeria was the ________ Constitution. (a) Clifford (b) Richard (c) Macpherson (d) Lyttleton
9. The Lyttleton Constitution was introduced in the year (a) 1951 (b) 1946 (c) 1954 (d) 1960
10. Nigeria gained independence in (a) 1963 (b) 1960 (c) 1979 (d) 1999
11. A key feature of the 1960 Independence Constitution was the retention of the British monarch as the Head of State, making Nigeria a ________. (a) Republic (b) Federation (c) Constitutional monarchy (d) Unitary state
12. The 1963 Constitution made Nigeria a (a) Protectorate (b) Colony (c) Monarchy (d) Republic
13. The first Nigerian constitution to adopt a presidential system of government was the (a) 1960 Constitution (b) 1963 Constitution (c) 1979 Constitution (d) 1999 Constitution
14. Which of these is not a feature of the 1999 Constitution? (a) Presidential system (b) Federalism (c) Parliamentary system (d) Supremacy of the constitution
15. The 1989 Constitution was never fully implemented due to (a) economic recession (b) military coups (c) lack of public support (d) international pressure
16. The current constitution of Nigeria is the (a) 1979 Constitution (b) 1989 Constitution (c) 1963 Constitution (d) 1999 Constitution
17. The principle that states no other law can override the constitution is known as (a) Rule of law (b) Separation of powers (c) Checks and balances (d) Supremacy of the constitution
18. ________ ensures that all citizens are subject to the same constitutional provisions. (a) Judicial review (b) Uniform application (c) Legislative immunity (d) Executive orders
19. The constitution serves as the ________ law of the land. (a) fundamental (b) secondary (c) supreme (d) customary
20. How many constitutions can a country have at a time? (a) Two (b) Three (c) One (d) Multiple
21. Which of the following is a primary function of a constitution? (a) To divide the country into states (b) To establish the framework of government (c) To declare war on other nations (d) To manage the economy
22. The process of changing or adding to a constitution is known as (a) legislation (b) amendment (c) promulgation (d) abrogation
23. The ultimate source of all laws in a country is the ________. (a) President (b) Legislature (c) Constitution (d) Judiciary
24. Constitutional development in Nigeria began during the (a) pre-colonial era (b) colonial era (c) post-independence era (d) military era
25. The 1960 Independence Constitution retained Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State, represented by a (a) Prime Minister (b) President (c) Governor-General (d) Premier
26. All of these are post-independence constitutions in Nigeria except the (a) 1963 Constitution (b) 1979 Constitution (c) 1954 Constitution (d) 1999 Constitution
27. Which constitution did NOT grant full regional autonomy to the Nigerian regions? (a) Lyttleton (b) Macpherson (c) Richard (d) Clifford
28. The main aim of the colonial constitutions in Nigeria was to (a) prepare Nigeria for independence (b) exploit Nigerian resources (c) establish democratic rule (d) promote national unity
29. The constitutional provision that states all government actions must align with the constitution is an example of ________. (a) rule of law (b) separation of powers (c) supremacy of the constitution (d) federalism
30. The 1979 Constitution introduced a bicameral legislature at the federal level, consisting of the Senate and the (a) House of Chiefs (b) House of Assembly (c) House of Representatives (d) Regional Assembly
31. Which of these is not a feature of the 1963 Republican Constitution? (a) Nigeria became a republic (b) President replaced the Queen as Head of State (c) Prime Minister remained Head of Government (d) It established a unitary system
32. The main reason for the introduction of the Lyttleton Constitution was to (a) grant Nigeria full independence (b) resolve the constitutional crisis of 1953 (c) establish a unitary government (d) increase British control
33. The 1999 Constitution provides for a ________ system of government. (a) parliamentary (b) unitary (c) confederate (d) presidential
34. The correct step in ensuring constitutional supremacy is to (a) allow military rule (b) disregard judicial pronouncements (c) ensure all laws conform to the constitution (d) promote regionalism over national laws
35. The first constitution to explicitly provide for a federal system of government in Nigeria was the (a) Clifford Constitution (b) Richard Constitution (c) Macpherson Constitution (d) Lyttleton Constitution
36. ________ refers to the process of forming or developing a nation’s fundamental laws. (a) Legal reform (b) Constitutional development (c) Political evolution (d) Statutory review
37. The Macpherson Constitution allowed for greater Nigerian participation in the (a) Executive Council (b) Judicial Council (c) Legislative Council (d) Regional Houses
38. Which of the following is a key characteristic of the 1999 Constitution? (a) Parliamentary system (b) Unitary government (c) Separation of powers (d) Life presidency
39. The 1960 Independence Constitution established a ________ system of government. (a) presidential (b) parliamentary (c) unitary (d) confederal
40. The part of the constitution that outlines its supremacy is often found in its ________. (a) preamble (b) appendices (c) chapters (d) schedules

SECTION B: THEORY (30 Marks)
Instruction: Answer any THREE questions.

1. (a) Define the term ‘constitution’. (2 marks)
(b) Explain two reasons why a country needs a constitution. (3 marks)
(c) Briefly describe the concept of constitutional development in Nigeria. (3 marks)
(d) State two characteristics of the earliest constitutions in Nigeria. (2 marks)

2. (a) List any two colonial constitutions introduced in Nigeria. (2 marks)
(b) Outline two major features of the Richard Constitution of 1946. (3 marks)
(c) Explain how the Macpherson Constitution was an improvement over the Clifford Constitution. (3 marks)
(d) What was the main objective of the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954? (2 marks)

3. (a) Name the constitution that made Nigeria a Republic. (2 marks)
(b) State three features of the 1979 Presidential Constitution. (3 marks)
(c) Differentiate between the 1960 Independence Constitution and the 1963 Republican Constitution. (3 marks)
(d) Identify two reasons why the 1989 Constitution was not fully implemented. (2 marks)

4. (a) What is meant by the supremacy of the constitution? (2 marks)
(b) Explain two implications of the supremacy of the constitution in a democratic state. (3 marks)
(c) Discuss how the uniform application of constitutional provisions across states and individuals promotes national unity. (3 marks)
(d) In which part of the constitution can provisions for its supremacy often be found? (2 marks)

Objective Marking Scheme
Question 1 – ✅ (b) Constitution
Question 2 – ✅ (c) Clifford Constitution
Question 3 – ✅ (b) 1922
Question 4 – ✅ (c) Richard Constitution
Question 5 – ✅ (c) 1951
Question 6 – ✅ (a) promotion of self-governance
Question 7 – ✅ (b) They granted full autonomy
Question 8 – ✅ (d) Lyttleton
Question 9 – ✅ (c) 1954
Question 10 – ✅ (b) 1960
Question 11 – ✅ (c) Constitutional monarchy
Question 12 – ✅ (d) Republic
Question 13 – ✅ (c) 1979 Constitution
Question 14 – ✅ (c) Parliamentary system
Question 15 – ✅ (b) military coups
Question 16 – ✅ (d) 1999 Constitution
Question 17 – ✅ (d) Supremacy of the constitution
Question 18 – ✅ (b) Uniform application
Question 19 – ✅ (c) supreme
Question 20 – ✅ (c) One
Question 21 – ✅ (b) To establish the framework of government
Question 22 – ✅ (b) amendment
Question 23 – ✅ (c) Constitution
Question 24 – ✅ (b) colonial era
Question 25 – ✅ (c) Governor-General
Question 26 – ✅ (c) 1954 Constitution
Question 27 – ✅ (d) Clifford
Question 28 – ✅ (b) exploit Nigerian resources
Question 29 – ✅ (c) supremacy of the constitution
Question 30 – ✅ (c) House of Representatives
Question 31 – ✅ (d) It established a unitary system
Question 32 – ✅ (b) resolve the constitutional crisis of 1953
Question 33 – ✅ (d) presidential
Question 34 – ✅ (c) ensure all laws conform to the constitution
Question 35 – ✅ (d) Lyttleton Constitution
Question 36 – ✅ (b) Constitutional development
Question 37 – ✅ (c) Legislative Council
Question 38 – ✅ (c) Separation of powers
Question 39 – ✅ (b) parliamentary
Question 40 – ✅ (c) chapters