The UNN cut off mark for English and Literary Studies for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME, the score you needed to apply for screening with UNN as your first choice. That figure comes from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s screening notice of 13 July 2026. UNN has not published a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for English and Literary Studies for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so a blog that shows you an “official” English cut-off got the number from somewhere other than UNN.
2027/2028 update: UNN cut-off marks usually stay the same from one year to the next, so the figures on this page are what 2027/2028 candidates should plan with. They come from the latest official notice (2026/2027). If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
There is a second number you will hear: 200. That was UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN still invited candidates from 160 upward, and English at UNN normally admits above both figures. This guide covers the UTME subjects, the science credit UNN asks for at O’level (the rule most Arts students miss), Direct Entry, how screening worked, an aggregate example, admission odds and the score I would aim for.
UNN cut off mark for English and Literary Studies 2027/2028 at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum UTME to apply for UNN screening | 160 | Official (UNN, 13 July 2026) |
| UNN minimum declared at the JAMB policy meeting | 200 | Reported by Vanguard, 11 May 2026 |
| Departmental cut-off for English and Literary Studies | Not published | No UNN list for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | English, Literature in English, one other Arts subject, and one Arts or Social Science subject | JAMB brochure reprint (confirm on IBASS) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language, Literature in English and a science subject | UNN department page and UNN remark in the JAMB brochure |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Arts, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
Keep the two kinds of cut-off apart. The general cut-off (160) decides who may be screened. The departmental cut-off is the lowest score UNN actually admitted into English after ranking everyone who applied, and UNN does not release it. Any target score you see later in this guide is my advice, and I label it that way.
UNN English and Literary Studies cut-off history
Every figure below traces back to UNN or JAMB. None of them is a score set only for English.
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 | UTME score needed to apply for UNN screening (UNN as first choice) | Official, UNN Registrar notice of 13 July 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 200 | Minimum UNN declared at the JAMB 2026 policy meeting | Reported by Vanguard and News Central, 11 May 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for all universities | Official JAMB policy, May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 | UTME and screening threshold in UNN’s advert (shopping) notice | Official notice, seen through reprints |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Official JAMB policy, July 2025 |
| 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 | Not published | Departmental cut-off for this course | UNN has released no departmental list |
One blog puts English at UNN at about 220 to 230 for “2025/2026”. It calls its figures estimates based on trends and does not say whether they are UTME scores or aggregates, so treat it as an unofficial estimate. It is useful only as a rough signal that English sits in the middle of UNN’s Arts courses for competition.
There is one official 2025/2026 number worth knowing. UNN’s October 2025 advert (shopping) list showed 35 unfilled places in English and Literary Studies after the main lists. That is a vacancy count, not a cut-off. It tells you the department did not fill all its places from first-choice candidates that year, which is good news for a candidate with a fair score and the right subjects.
UTME subject combination for English and Literary Studies at UNN
The JAMB brochure lists the same core rule for English across universities, and UNN’s own department page agrees on the main subject: Literature in English.
| Requirement | What you need for English and Literary Studies at UNN |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Literature in English, one other Arts subject (for example CRS/IRS, History or a Nigerian language), and one Arts or Social Science subject (for example Government or Economics) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and Literature in English |
| UNN extra O’level rule | The UNN remark in the JAMB brochure says UNN requires a science subject |
| Sittings | UNN’s department page does not state a sitting limit; confirm on IBASS |
| Direct Entry (department page) | At least a D in Literature in English at A’level, or an equivalent such as HSC or NCE |
| Direct Entry (UNN remark) | UNN accepts NCE merit in English Language, in addition to the UTME requirements |
| Minimum UTME to apply | 160, with UNN as first choice |
A combination I would recommend is English, Literature in English, CRS and Government. Literature is non-negotiable. CRS counts as the second Arts subject, and Government keeps Political Science and Public Administration open if you later need a change of course. I could not open JAMB’s official IBASS brochure from here, so check the combination on your JAMB profile before you register.
The science credit rule
Many Arts students write WAEC with English, Literature, Government, CRS, History, Economics and Civic Education, plus Mathematics and Biology because the school forces them. If you are in that group, keep the Biology (or Agricultural Science, or another science). The UNN remark for English in the JAMB brochure states that UNN requires a science subject at O’level. A candidate with five Arts credits and no science credit can be dropped at screening even with a high UTME score.
Mathematics is not named in the UNN remark, but most Nigerian universities and many employers like to see it. A credit costs you little if you can get it, so I would treat it as insurance.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what English and Literary Studies candidates had to do
The Registrar’s notice of 13 July 2026 described an online screening registration only. It gave no test date, no exam format and no subjects for a written paper. So if someone is selling you “UNN post-UTME past questions for 2026/2027” as preparation for English and Literary Studies, ask them which official notice announced a test, because the one UNN published did not.
| Detail | 2026/2027 screening |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose UNN as first choice in the 2026 UTME and scored 160 or more |
| Opened | Wednesday 15 July 2026 |
| Closed | Midnight, Wednesday 5 August 2026 |
| Fees | ₦2,000 application fee plus ₦3,300 processing fee (₦5,300 in total), paid through Remita |
| O’level upload | To JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026 |
| Awaiting results | Not eligible; results had to be out |
| Age | Candidates under 16 by 30 September 2026 were told not to apply |
| Names | Names on WAEC or NECO results must match the names on the JAMB record |
| Uploads | Birth certificate, LGA identification, testimonial, First School Leaving Certificate, JAMB result slip and O’level result(s), each under 100KB |
The portal route was unn.edu.ng, then UNN Portal at the top right (unnportal.unn.edu.ng), then Prospective Students and the 2026/2027 screening form. You entered your JAMB registration number, generated and paid the invoice, came back to fill personal and O’level details (including centre and exam numbers), uploaded your documents, reviewed, submitted and printed the acknowledgement slip. The notice warned that date of birth cannot be changed after submission.
The window is closed. If you did not register by 5 August 2026, UNN cannot consider you for 2026/2027, whatever your score.
How UNN ranks English and Literary Studies candidates (aggregate example)
UNN has not published its aggregate formula. Neither the 2026/2027 screening notice nor the 2025/2026 advert notice gives weights or grade points. The 2025/2026 advert notice did refer to a separate screening score with a 160 threshold, but it did not say how that score is worked out.
Several Nigerian education blogs describe the same method, and it is the one you will see most often: 60% of your UTME score plus 40% of an O’level score built from four relevant subjects, where A1 = 100, B2 = 90, B3 = 80, C4 = 70, C5 = 60 and C6 = 50. Treat the example below as an illustration of that blog method. It is not an official UNN formula.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| UTME score | 235 |
| O’level: English Language | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Literature in English | A1 = 100 |
| O’level: CRS | B2 = 90 |
| O’level: Biology | C5 = 60 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 330 |
| 60% of UTME | 235 × 0.6 = 141 |
| 40% of O’level | 330 × 0.4 = 132 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 141 + 132 = 273 |
That candidate ends at 273 out of 400 on the blog method. Literature in English is doing the heavy work here. If that A1 were a C6, the aggregate would drop by 20 points, roughly the same as losing 33 marks in the UTME. UNN has not said which four O’level subjects it counts, or whether the science credit is ranked or only checked, so read this as an illustration of the method and nothing more.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for English and Literary Studies at UNN
UNN is a federal university, so it works under the federal admission guideline that is widely reported as 45% merit, 35% catchment and 20% educationally less developed states (ELDS). UNN has not published its own split for any course, so read that as the national policy rather than a UNN figure.
- Merit: the top scorers in the course, from any state, fill this list first. It is where the highest cut-off sits.
- Catchment: UNN has not published its catchment list. It is generally understood to be the South-East states; confirm on JAMB CAPS or with the UNN admissions office before you count on it.
- ELDS: this is a federal designation. UNN does not publish its own ELDS list, and I would not rely on any blog that names states “for UNN”.
- State of origin: the state on your JAMB profile is what counts, and UNN asks for an LGA identification letter as proof during screening.
English and Literary Studies has a large class at UNN, and the 35 vacancies on the 2025/2026 advert list suggest the department is not as tight as Law or Mass Communication. Candidates from the South-East who miss the merit list still have a catchment route. UNN has not said how many places English has for 2026/2027.
What score should you aim for in English and Literary Studies at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 220 or more in the UTME. With strong O’level grades in English and Literature, 210 gives you a fair chance on the catchment list if you are from a South-East state. If your grades are mostly C4 to C6, push for 230 or more.
| Your UTME score | My reading for English and Literary Studies at UNN (advice, not a UNN figure) |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 199 | Eligible to apply, but below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; plan a backup |
| 200 to 219 | Possible, mainly on catchment or through an advert list |
| 220 to 239 | Competitive |
| 240 and above | Strong position on merit |
If your score falls short, watch for UNN’s advert list. In October 2025 the advert window ran from 20 to 24 October with a ₦10,000 processing fee, and candidates admitted through it could not change course that session. That was the 2025/2026 arrangement; UNN may run it differently in 2026/2027.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for English and Literary Studies at UNN
Warning
JAMB’s 2026 policy gives candidates four weeks to accept an admission offer on CAPS. An offer left unaccepted after that can be withdrawn and given to someone else, so check CAPS every few days once UNN starts releasing lists.
- Get or recover your JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN (for example, NIN 12345678901) to 55019 or 66019 from the phone number linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with your profile code, which you need for registration and other JAMB services.
- Make UNN your first choice: UNN screens only candidates who chose it first. If you are planning for 2027, pick UNN and English and Literary Studies at registration so you do not pay for a change of institution later.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: your WAEC, NECO or NABTEB result has to show on your JAMB profile. For 2026/2027 UNN asked for the upload to CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026. A JAMB-accredited CBT centre can do the CAPS upload for you.
- Register for UNN screening: when the next notice comes out, fill the form on unnportal.unn.edu.ng, pay through Remita and print your acknowledgement slip.
- Check CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, click Check Admission Status, then Access My CAPS and Admission Status. On a phone, switch your browser to desktop view first.
- Accept or reject: read the course name carefully, then click Accept. If you see a Transfer Approval, UNN is offering you a different course, and you must respond to that before anything else.
- Print your JAMB admission letter and pay acceptance: after CAPS, pay UNN’s acceptance fee on the UNN portal. Blogs report it as ₦25,000, but I found no official 2026/2027 figure, so confirm the amount on the portal before you pay.
- Clearance: follow your faculty’s clearance instructions with your original documents. Nobody can “secure” a place for you on CAPS for money.
UNN’s homepage already carries 2026/2027 notices for its primary admission list, its Direct Entry list and lists for candidates with disabilities and foreign candidates, and Myschool reported on 25 October 2026 that the list is checkable on CAPS. JAMB also told public universities to conclude 2026 admissions by 31 October 2026. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains every status message you may see.
Studying English and Literary Studies at UNN
English and Literary Studies is in UNN’s Faculty of Arts on the Nsukka campus. The department was one of the university’s foundation departments. It took its present name in 2004, when Dramatic Arts left to become a separate department (now Theatre and Film Studies), and UNN’s page says it received full accreditation in 2005. Since 2010 it has had a language laboratory.
| Programme | Entry route | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| B.A. English and Literary Studies | UTME | 4 years |
| B.A. Combined Honours (English with another subject) | UTME | 4 years |
| B.A. English and Literary Studies | Direct Entry | 3 years |
The department lists four study areas: English Language, English Literature, Modern African Literature and Traditional African Verbal Arts. In practice that means grammar, phonetics and the structure of English on one side, and poetry, drama and prose from Britain, America and Africa on the other, with oral literature in between.
UNN’s page names teaching, administration, editing and publishing, broadcasting and the media, and writing or literary agency as career routes. I would add content writing, communications, advertising copy and, after a law degree or postgraduate study, law and academia. An English graduate who writes well and can edit is employable in almost any office.
Related UNN courses: UNN Theatre and Film Studies, UNN Linguistics, Igbo and Other Nigerian Languages, UNN Mass Communication and UNN History and International Relations. If you are still choosing subjects, our guide to JAMB change of course explains what you can still fix after registration.
Common mistakes English applicants make at UNN
- No Literature in the UTME: English without Literature is not a valid combination.
- No science credit at O’level: the UNN remark asks for one, and it is easy to overlook if you are an Arts student.
- Treating 160 as the target: it is the entry ticket for screening, not the admission score.
- Choosing UNN as second choice: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Ignoring CAPS: an offer you do not accept within JAMB’s four-week window can be lost.
- Paying “agents” for admission: admission is through the UNN portal and JAMB CAPS only.
UNN cut off mark for English and Literary Studies: frequently asked questions
Is 220 enough for English and Literary Studies in UNN?
It clears the 160 screening minimum and UNN’s declared 200 benchmark, and I would call it competitive for English if your O’level grades are good. It is not a guarantee, because UNN has not published the departmental cut-off.
Does UNN require Mathematics for English and Literary Studies?
The UNN remark in the JAMB brochure asks for a science subject at O’level, not Mathematics by name. I would still get a Mathematics credit, since it keeps other courses open.
Can I study English at UNN with NCE?
Yes, through Direct Entry. The UNN remark says UNN accepts NCE merit in English Language in addition to the UTME requirements, and you start in 200 level for the three-year programme.
Is there a post-UTME exam for English in UNN?
UNN’s 2026/2027 notice described an online screening registration with document uploads and gave no written test. Watch the UNN website for the 2027/2028 notice in case that changes.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum, screening dates, fees, eligibility rules and portal steps come from the UNN Registrar’s notice 2026/2027 Screening Exercise for Admission of 13 July 2026. The reported 200 comes from Vanguard’s 11 May 2026 report on the JAMB policy meeting (via AllAfrica), and the national 150 minimum, the 31 October admission deadline and the four-week CAPS acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria. The 2025/2026 figure of 160 and the vacancy counts come from reprints of UNN’s October 2025 advert notice. The English UTME and O’level rules and the UNN remarks (science subject; NCE merit in English for Direct Entry) come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure, and the programme list, admission rules, 2004 renaming, 2005 accreditation and language laboratory come from UNN’s English and Literary Studies page on unn.edu.ng. The current official brochure on JAMB’s IBASS site could not be opened, so confirm your combination on your JAMB profile before you register. The 220 to 230 range is an unofficial blog estimate. The 45/35/20 quota is national policy, not a UNN figure. The aggregate method is a blog method, and the ₦25,000 acceptance fee is an unofficial report. Checked on 29 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
