The UNN cut off mark for History and International Studies for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME, which is what you needed to apply for screening with UNN as your first choice. The figure is in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s screening notice of 13 July 2026. UNN has not released a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for this course for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so a specific “official” History score you find on a blog did not come from the university.
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.
You may also see 200 quoted, UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN still accepted screening applications from 160. Below you will find the course’s current name (it changed), the UTME combination, O’level and Direct Entry rules, how screening worked, an aggregate example, how hard it is to get in, and the score I would aim for.
History and International Studies or History and International Relations?
Both names are in use at UNN, and that confuses candidates on the JAMB portal. The department’s own page on unn.edu.ng still calls the programme History and International Studies. UNN’s official 2025/2026 advert list, however, names the course History and International Relations, and the Department of Religion and Cultural Studies uses the same newer name when it lists combined honours options. In this guide I use the newer name where I mean the current course, and the older one where I quote the department page.
On JAMB, go by the course title shown against UNN on your profile when you register. Pick the History programme listed for UNN there, whatever it is called on the day. If you see both names, ask at your CBT centre or check UNN’s notices before you pay.
UNN cut off mark for History and International 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 | Not published | No UNN list for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | English, History or Government, plus two other Arts or Social Science subjects | JAMB brochure reprint (confirm on IBASS) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and History or Government | UNN department page |
| 2025/2026 vacancies after main lists | 27 | UNN advert list, October 2025 |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Arts, Nsukka | UNN |
The 160 is UNN’s general cut-off: it lets you into screening. The departmental cut-off is the lowest score UNN finally admitted into this course after ranking, and UNN does not publish it. My target score later on is advice, labelled as such.
UNN History and International Studies cut-off history
These are the only cut-off figures that come from UNN or JAMB. None is specific to History.
| 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 |
The most useful official signal is the vacancy count. UNN’s October 2025 advert list showed 27 unfilled places in History and International Relations after its main admission lists. It is a vacancy count, and it tells you the course did not fill from first-choice candidates in 2025/2026. I did not find any blog estimate for History at UNN that I would trust, and I have not invented one.
UTME subject combination and O’level for History and International Studies at UNN
The JAMB brochure’s core rule for History and International Studies is simple, and UNN’s department page lines up with it on O’level.
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, History or Government, plus any two other Arts or Social Science subjects (Literature in English, CRS/IRS, Economics, Geography and similar) |
| O’level (UNN department page) | Credits in at least five subjects including English and History or Government, from WASC, NECO, GCE O’level or SSCE |
| O’level (JAMB general rule) | The brochure’s base rule also lists Geography, but many universities waive it; UNN’s department page does not mention Geography |
| Direct Entry (UNN department page) | A good pass in History or Government at Diploma, NCE or A’level, plus at least one of Economics, English, Literature, Geography or a related subject |
| Minimum UTME to apply | 160, with UNN as first choice |
A combination I like for this course is English, Government, History (if your school offered it) and Literature or Economics. Government and History together give you two strong subjects that match the course content. If your school did not offer History, English, Government, Literature and CRS is fine.
Get a science credit too. UNN’s remarks in the JAMB brochure ask for one in several Arts courses, including English and Linguistics, and a Mathematics or Biology credit protects you if the History rule turns out to be the same. I could not open JAMB’s official IBASS brochure from here, so confirm on your JAMB profile before registering.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what History and International 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 History and International 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 History and International 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 | 215 |
| O’level: English Language | C4 = 70 |
| O’level: Government | B2 = 90 |
| O’level: History | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Literature in English | C5 = 60 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 300 |
| 60% of UTME | 215 × 0.6 = 129 |
| 40% of O’level | 300 × 0.4 = 120 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 129 + 120 = 249 |
That candidate ends at 249 out of 400 on the blog method. Notice how a 215 in the UTME is not a high score, yet the aggregate is respectable because the O’level grades are solid. Moving the Government B2 up to A1 adds 4 points; moving English from C4 to B3 adds another 4. UNN has not confirmed which O’level subjects it ranks, so this is only an illustration.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for History 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.
History at UNN is less crowded than Law, Political Science or Mass Communication, and the 27 vacancies on the 2025/2026 advert list point the same way. A South-East candidate with good O’level grades has a real chance on the catchment list. UNN has not said how many places the course has for 2026/2027.
What score should you aim for in History at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 200 or more in the UTME, which also clears UNN’s declared benchmark. With 210 to 220 and decent O’level grades I would feel comfortable. If you are below 200, the advert list has been a real route for this course.
| Your UTME score | My reading for History at UNN (advice, not a UNN figure) |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 199 | Eligible to apply; possible through catchment or the advert list, but have a backup |
| 200 to 219 | Competitive |
| 220 and above | Strong position |
In 2025/2026 the advert window ran from 20 to 24 October 2025 with a ₦10,000 processing fee, and candidates admitted through it could not change course that session. UNN may set different dates or rules for 2026/2027.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for History 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 History 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 History and International Studies at UNN
History was one of the six foundation departments when the University of Nigeria opened in 1960, according to the department’s page. It sits in the Faculty of Arts on the Nsukka campus. The “International Studies” part covers world politics and the world economy, and the department says students also take courses in international relations.
| Programme | Entry route | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| B.A. (Hons) History and International Studies | UTME | 4 years |
| B.A. (Hons) History and International Studies | Direct Entry | 3 years |
| B.A. combined with Archaeology, Education, English, Library Science and Information Technology, or Religion | UTME | 4 years |
Expect Nigerian and African history across periods, world history, historiography and research methods, and international relations topics such as diplomacy and foreign policy, ending with a long essay in final year.
Graduates go into the foreign service and international organisations, the civil service, teaching, journalism and media, museums and archives, research, NGOs and policy work. Many take a master’s in international relations or diplomacy, or go on to law.
Related UNN courses: UNN Political Science, UNN Archaeology and Heritage Studies, UNN Religion and Cultural Studies and UNN English and Literary Studies.
Common mistakes History applicants make at UNN
- No History or Government in the UTME: one of the two is required.
- No Government or History credit at O’level: the department page asks for one, alongside English.
- Getting confused by the two names: pick the History course JAMB lists for UNN on your profile.
- Treating 160 as the admission score: it only lets you into screening.
- Choosing UNN as second choice: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Missing the CAPS window: accept within JAMB’s four weeks.
UNN cut off mark for History and International Studies: frequently asked questions
Is 200 enough for History and International Studies in UNN?
It clears the 160 screening minimum and UNN’s declared 200 benchmark, and I would call it competitive for History with good O’level grades. UNN has not published a departmental cut-off, so no score is a guarantee.
Do I need Literature for History and International Studies in UNN?
No. The JAMB rule is History or Government plus two other Arts or Social Science subjects, so Literature is one option among several.
Is History and International Relations the same course as History and International Studies at UNN?
They refer to the same department. The department page uses History and International Studies, while UNN’s 2025/2026 advert list used History and International Relations.
Can I use NCE for Direct Entry into History at UNN?
Yes. The department page accepts a good pass in History or Government at Diploma, NCE or A’level, plus at least one related subject, for the three-year programme.
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 UTME combination and general O’level rule come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure for History and International Studies (no UNN-specific remark was shown). The O’level and Direct Entry rules, programme list, combined options and 1960 foundation come from UNN’s History and International Studies page on unn.edu.ng. The newer name History and International Relations appears in UNN’s 2025/2026 advert list (via reprints) and on the Religion and Cultural Studies department site. The current official brochure on JAMB’s IBASS site could not be opened, so confirm on your JAMB profile before you register. 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.
