NECO Animal Husbandry Exam 2025: Complete Breakdown and Study Guide with questions and answers
Introduction
Animal Husbandry is a vocational subject offered in the NECO Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). It focuses on the principles and practices of breeding, feeding, caring for, and managing domestic animals such as poultry, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. The subject prepares students for careers in agriculture, animal health, and livestock production.
This guide provides a full breakdown of the NECO Animal Husbandry exam 2025, covering the official timetable, structure, key syllabus areas, practical specimens, and preparation tips.
NECO Animal Husbandry Exam 2025 Timetable
According to the official NECO timetable:
- Paper I – Practical
- Date: Thursday, July 10, 2025
- Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
- Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Papers III & II – Objective and Essay
- Date: Friday, July 11, 2025
- Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Duration: 2 hours
Exam Structure and Format
The Animal Husbandry exam is divided into three components:
1. Paper I – Practical (60 marks, 1 hour 30 minutes)
This paper involves the identification and description of various animal husbandry specimens such as:
- Livestock breeds (e.g., chicken, goat, pig)
- Animal feeds (e.g., maize grain, groundnut cake)
- Farm tools and equipment (e.g., feeder, drinker)
- Parasites and pests (e.g., ticks, lice)
- Animal products (e.g., fresh egg, fresh milk)
Candidates are required to:
- Identify each specimen
- State its use or function
- Describe features or importance
2. Paper II – Essay (80 marks, 2 hours)
This paper tests a deeper understanding of animal husbandry concepts and applications. It typically includes:
- 6 theory questions
- Candidates are required to answer 4 questions
Questions demand:
- Clear explanations
- Examples and diagrams where applicable
- Application of real-life animal production practices
3. Paper III – Objective (40 marks, 40 minutes)
This is a multiple-choice section containing 40 questions. Topics span the entire syllabus and test factual knowledge, definitions, and reasoning.
Core Syllabus Areas
Here are the major content areas students must cover:
1. Introduction to Animal Husbandry
- Meaning and importance
- Classes of animals: ruminants and non-ruminants
- Differences between livestock and pets
2. Anatomy and Physiology
- Digestive system of monogastric and ruminant animals
- Reproductive and circulatory systems
- Functions of organs in these systems
3. Animal Nutrition
- Types of feeds: energy, protein, mineral, vitamin, roughages
- Functions of nutrients
- Feed formulation and rationing
- Malnutrition and its effects
4. Reproduction and Breeding
- Types of reproduction (sexual and asexual)
- Gestation periods for common farm animals
- Methods of breeding: inbreeding, crossbreeding, line breeding
- Artificial insemination: meaning, advantages, limitations
5. Animal Health
- Common diseases: viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic
- Symptoms and control of diseases
- Common pests and their control (e.g., lice, ticks, mites)
- Vaccination and hygiene practices
6. Housing and Management
- Housing systems for poultry, pigs, cattle, and goats
- Importance of proper ventilation and sanitation
- Environmental factors affecting animal health and productivity
7. Pasture and Range Management
- Types of pasture: natural and artificial
- Methods of pasture improvement
- Rotational grazing and zero grazing systems
8. Animal Products and Marketing
- Processing and preservation of meat, milk, eggs, and hides
- Packaging and distribution of animal products
- Challenges in livestock marketing
Practical Specimens
During the practical exam, students may be given the following specimen types:
- Animal Products: fresh egg, raw milk, hide or skin
- Feeds: maize grain, bone meal, groundnut cake
- Tools/Equipment: feeder, drinker, ear tag, branding iron
- Parasites: tick, lice, roundworm (model or preserved)
- Forage Crops: elephant grass, centrosema, guinea grass
- Live or Model Animals: poultry, piglet, goat (photos or specimens)
Candidates should be able to:
- Identify the specimen
- State one or two uses or importance
- Describe one or two features
- Relate the specimen to a specific production or health practice
Study and Preparation Tips
- Master Practical Specimens
- Learn the names, uses, and characteristics of common farm tools, feeds, and animals.
- Revise Syllabus Topics
- Focus on animal nutrition, reproduction, disease control, and marketing.
- Use Past Questions
- Solve past NECO objective and theory papers to understand question patterns.
- Use Diagrams
- Practice drawing and labeling the anatomy of animals and farm tools.
- Understand Terminologies
- Be familiar with technical terms used in animal production (e.g., castration, artificial insemination, gestation).
- Study with Agricultural Science
- Some topics overlap with Agricultural Science, especially in livestock production.
Summary Table
| Paper | Type | Marks | Duration | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Practical | 60 | 1 hour 30 minutes | July 10, 2025 |
| Paper II | Essay (Theory) | 80 | 2 hours | July 11, 2025 |
| Paper III | Objective | 40 | 40 minutes | July 11, 2025 |
Conclusion
The NECO Animal Husbandry examination 2025 is structured to assess both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in animal care and production. To excel, candidates must have a strong grasp of livestock management principles, disease control, breeding systems, feeding, and marketing. Mastery of practical specimens is equally essential for high performance in the practical paper.
NECO ANIMAL HUSBANDRY OBJECTIVES AND THEORY ANSWERS LOADING…… . ..
THEORY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LOADING SHORTLY…………..
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