Getting a well paid job nowadays is an … task?

Analyze the question: The sentence says getting a well-paid job nowadays is an "...... task". We need the word that describes a task that is difficult and demands a lot of effort.

Explain the concept: This is a vocabulary and collocation question. An uphill task (or uphill struggle/battle) is an idiom for a task that is difficult and requires sustained effort, like climbing a hill.

Check each option:

• A. utmost: means "greatest" or "most extreme" (e.g., "of the utmost importance"). It is not normally used to describe a task, and "an utmost task" is not a natural collocation.
• B. upbeat: means cheerful or optimistic. It doesn't fit the meaning of a difficult job search.
• C. uphill: means difficult and requiring great effort. "An uphill task" is a standard expression, and it fits the idea that well-paid jobs are hard to get these days.
• D. upfield: a sports term meaning toward the opponent's end of the field. It has no relevance here.

Answer: The correct option is C. uphill.

Tip: Remember the common "uphill" collocations: uphill task, uphill struggle, uphill battle. If you see "task" or "struggle" paired with a difficulty idea, think of climbing a hill. In JAMB English, many gap-fill questions test idioms and collocations like this, so learn the whole phrase rather than single words.