The UNN cut off mark for Pure and Industrial Chemistry for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME, the general minimum the University of Nigeria, Nsukka set for candidates who chose UNN first and wanted to register for screening. UNN has not published a departmental cut off for Pure and Industrial Chemistry this session or last, so there is no official course figure to quote.
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.
At JAMB’s 2026 policy meeting, UNN’s declared minimum was reported as 200. Pure and Industrial Chemistry is moderately competitive: easier to enter than Pharmacy or Medicine, but it shares candidates with Biochemistry and the engineering courses. This guide gives you the official figures, the UTME and O’level rules from UNN’s own pages, a worked aggregate example, the score I would aim for and the full application steps.
UNN cut off mark for Pure and Industrial Chemistry 2027/2028 at a glance
| Item | Figure or rule | Status |
|---|---|---|
| UNN minimum UTME score to apply for screening | 160 (UNN as first choice) | Official: UNN Registrar’s notice, 13 July 2026 |
| UNN minimum declared at the JAMB 2026 policy meeting | 200 | Reported by Vanguard and News Central, 11 May 2026 |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | JAMB policy meeting, May 2026 |
| UNN departmental cut off for Pure and Industrial Chemistry | Not published | No official figure for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | English, Chemistry, Physics, plus Mathematics or Biology | UNN remark in the JAMB brochure |
| Degree, duration and campus | B.Sc. Pure and Industrial Chemistry, four years, Nsukka | Faculty of Physical Sciences |
| Safe target score (my advice) | 200 to 230 in the UTME | Advice, not a UNN figure |
Why two numbers? JAMB’s policy meeting list gave UNN as 200, but the university’s own screening notice invited everyone with 160 and above. The safest reading: UNN accepts screening applications from 160, UNN’s declared institutional benchmark at the 2026 JAMB policy meeting was 200, and competitive courses admit far above both. Use 160 to check that you can register, and judge your chances of a place by the competition for the course.
Has UNN released a departmental cut off mark for Pure and Industrial Chemistry?
No. As of 29 October 2026, UNN has not published departmental cut off marks for any course for 2026/2027, and I found no official departmental list for 2025/2026. A July 2026 blog post announced “official departmental scores” for UNN, but it contained no figures and named no UNN document.
| Session | UNN general minimum (UTME) | Pure and Industrial Chemistry departmental figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 to apply; 200 declared at the JAMB policy meeting | Not published | UNN notice, 13 July 2026; Vanguard, 11 May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 in the UTME and 160 in screening (advert window) | Not published | UNN advert notice as reprinted by Myschool, 20 October 2025 |
| 2025/2026 | Not applicable | 180 to 200 (unofficial blog estimate) | Education blog that calls its own figures estimates; scale not stated |
The 180 to 200 range comes from one education blog that describes its numbers as estimates based on trends, and it does not say whether they are UTME scores or aggregates. Do not treat it as UNN’s cut off. Departmental cut offs are set after screening, from the number and quality of applicants for each course, so they shift every year.
JAMB subject combination and O’level requirements for Pure and Industrial Chemistry at UNN
Three sources describe the UTME subjects for this course, and they do not match exactly. Here they are side by side:
| Source | UTME subjects besides Use of English |
|---|---|
| UNN remark in the JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) | Chemistry, Physics, and one of Biology or Mathematics |
| UNN Faculty of Physical Sciences admission page | Chemistry, plus two of Physics, Biology and Mathematics |
| General JAMB brochure entry for the course | Chemistry, Mathematics, and one of Physics, Biology or Agricultural Science |
The combination that satisfies all three is English, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. That is what I would register. Do not use Agricultural Science: it appears in the general brochure entry but in neither of the UNN sources, and UNN’s remark is the rule that applies to you. If you are much stronger in Biology than Mathematics, English, Chemistry, Physics and Biology also meets UNN’s own remark, but confirm on the JAMB e-brochure first.
| Requirement | What UNN asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| O’level | Five credits including English Language, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, plus Biology or Agricultural Science | UNN remark in the JAMB brochure |
| Direct Entry | Two A’level passes in Chemistry and one of Physics or Mathematics, plus the UTME O’level requirements | UNN remark in the JAMB brochure; UNN Faculty of Physical Sciences |
| Minimum age | 16 by 30 September of the admission year | UNN 2026/2027 screening notice |
A credit is C6 or better in WAEC, NECO or NABTEB. Physics catches out some chemistry candidates who assume it is optional. It is part of UNN’s O’level list and appears in UNN’s UTME remark, so make sure you have the credit before you choose this course.
How UNN screening and the aggregate work for Pure and Industrial Chemistry
UNN’s 2026/2027 screening was an online registration with document uploads. The notice described no written or CBT test and did not publish how candidates are ranked.
| Item | UNN 2026/2027 screening (official notice, 13 July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose UNN as first choice in the 2026 UTME and scored 160 or more; Direct Entry candidates who chose UNN first |
| Fees | ₦2,000 application plus ₦3,300 processing (₦5,300 in total), paid through Remita |
| Window | Opened Wednesday 15 July 2026, closed midnight Wednesday 5 August 2026 |
| O’level upload | To JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026 |
| Awaiting results | Not eligible: results had to be available |
| Age | Candidates under 16 by 30 September 2026 were told not to apply |
| Written test | None described in the notice; it was an online screening registration |
| Uploads | Birth certificate, LGA identification, testimonial, First School Leaving Certificate, JAMB result slip, O’level result(s), each under 100KB |
UNN has not published its aggregate formula in any notice I could open. The method most often reported by education blogs is 60% of your UTME score plus 40% of an O’level score, where four relevant subjects are graded A1 = 100, B2 = 90, B3 = 80, C4 = 70, C5 = 60 and C6 = 50. Treat it as a commonly used blog method, not an official UNN formula, and use it only to see roughly where you stand.
Take a Pure and Industrial Chemistry candidate with 224 in the UTME and B3 in English, B2 in Mathematics, A1 in Chemistry, B3 in Physics.
- O’level points: 80 + 90 + 100 + 80 = 350 out of 400
- UTME part: 224 × 0.6 = 134.4
- O’level part: 350 × 0.4 = 140
- Estimated aggregate: 134.4 + 140 = 274.4 out of 400
Your Chemistry grade does a lot of work here. An A1 in Chemistry instead of a C5 adds 16 points to the estimate, roughly the effect of 27 more UTME marks. If your O’level is mostly C grades, push your UTME score higher to make up for it.
Admission odds: what UTME score to aim for in UNN Pure and Industrial Chemistry
Pure and Industrial Chemistry is a large department with a long history, so it admits a fair number of students each year. It was not among the under-subscribed courses in the reprinted part of UNN’s 2025/2026 advert (vacancy) list, which suggests it filled its places in the main admission. Many candidates also put it as a safer alternative to Pharmacy, Biochemistry or Chemical Engineering, which keeps the scores up.
My advice, not a UNN figure: aim for 200 to 230 in the UTME, with B grades or better in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics.
| Your 2026 UTME score | My read for UNN Pure and Industrial Chemistry |
|---|---|
| 160 to 189 | Eligible for screening, but you depend on strong O’level grades and catchment or ELDS status. |
| 190 to 209 | A fair chance with good grades in the core sciences. |
| 210 to 229 | Good position in a normal year. |
| 230 and above | Comfortable on merit, all else equal. |
Places are shared under a national guideline for federal universities:
- Merit: the federal guideline usually quoted for federal universities is 45% of places on merit, filled from the top scorers in each course regardless of state. UNN has not published its own split.
- Catchment: about 35% under the same guideline. UNN’s catchment is generally understood to be the South-East states, but UNN has not published a list online, so confirm on JAMB CAPS or with the admissions office before you count on it.
- ELDS: about 20% for educationally less developed states. This is a federal designation and UNN does not publish its own list, so I will not name states here.
- State of origin: what counts is the state on your JAMB profile, backed by the LGA identification letter you upload during screening.
How to apply for Pure and Industrial Chemistry at UNN
Warning
Under JAMB’s 2026 rules you have four weeks to accept or reject an offer on CAPS, and an offer left untouched can be lost. Log in to CAPS often once UNN starts releasing lists, and read the course name before you click Accept.
- Get your JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN (for example, NIN 12345678901) to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with the profile code you use to register.
- Register for the UTME with the right subjects: pick Pure and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Nigeria as your first choice. UNN only screens first-choice candidates, so a second-choice listing will not get you onto its portal.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at a JAMB-accredited CBT centre as soon as your WAEC or NECO result is out. In 2026 UNN wanted results on CAPS and on its own portal by the screening deadline.
- Register for UNN screening: go to unn.edu.ng, click UNN Portal, then Prospective Students and the screening form. Enter your JAMB registration number, generate and pay the Remita invoice, come back and enter the number again, fill in your personal and O’level details (centre and exam numbers), upload your documents, review, submit and print the acknowledgement slip. You cannot change your date of birth afterwards.
- Check CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, click Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS and Admission Status. If UNN has offered you a place, read the course name carefully before you click Accept.
- Finish with UNN: print your JAMB admission letter, then pay the UNN acceptance fee on the university portal and follow the clearance instructions. The fee has been reported as ₦25,000 by an education blog, but I could not find it in an official UNN notice, so confirm the figure on the portal before paying.
Our JAMB CAPS guide walks through each CAPS status, and our JAMB change of course guide helps if you need to switch to this course from something more competitive.
What you study in Pure and Industrial Chemistry at UNN
The Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry is in the Faculty of Physical Sciences on the Nsukka campus. It is one of UNN’s founding departments.
- History: the department started in October 1960 as the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science. A separate degree in Industrial Chemistry was added in 1976, and the Senate renamed the department Pure and Industrial Chemistry from the 1984/85 session.
- One degree: in 2001 the two programmes were merged into a single degree in Pure and Industrial Chemistry. The department also kept a Combined Physical Sciences degree.
- Industrial training: students go on the Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), placed with chemical industries in Nigeria.
- Duration: four years for UTME entrants.
- Typical content: physical, organic, inorganic and analytical chemistry, with industrial chemistry topics such as process chemistry, polymers, petrochemicals and quality control, plus laboratory work and a final-year project. Check the department’s course list for the current outline.
- Accreditation: the department’s page links to a UNN accreditation results page but gives no status itself, so ask the department if this matters to you.
For revision, start with our JAMB Chemistry syllabus guide. Chemistry is the subject UNN cares about most for this course.
Career paths and related courses at UNN
Graduates work as chemists and quality control analysts in oil and gas, paints, plastics, food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and water treatment companies. Others go into environmental monitoring, regulatory agencies, teaching and research. The industrial side of the degree, including SIWES, is what makes it useful for manufacturing jobs.
Related courses at UNN worth comparing before you register:
- Biochemistry: chemistry applied to living systems, with Biology in the mix.
- Science Laboratory Technology: a five-year degree with a Chemistry Techniques option.
- Geology: a good fit for candidates interested in oil, gas and minerals.
- Metallurgical and Materials Engineering: the engineering side of materials and processing.
UNN cut off mark for Pure and Industrial Chemistry: frequently asked questions
Is 200 enough for Pure and Industrial Chemistry in UNN? It clears the 160 screening minimum and meets the 200 benchmark, and with good O’level grades it gives you a fair chance. UNN has not published a departmental cut off, so I would aim for 210 or more to be safer.
Can I use Biology instead of Mathematics in JAMB for Industrial Chemistry at UNN? UNN’s remark in the JAMB brochure accepts Chemistry, Physics and either Biology or Mathematics. I would still write Mathematics, because it satisfies every source and keeps engineering open.
Can I use awaiting result for UNN Pure and Industrial Chemistry screening? No. UNN’s 2026/2027 notice said candidates awaiting results were not eligible, and results had to be on JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026.
Is Pure and Industrial Chemistry in UNN four years? Yes, four years for UTME entrants, with SIWES industrial training as part of the programme.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum, screening fees, dates, eligibility rules, upload list and portal steps come from UNN’s 2026/2027 screening notice signed by the Registrar on 13 July 2026. The 200 figure comes from Vanguard’s report of the JAMB 2026 policy meeting (11 May 2026), and the national 150 minimum and the four-week CAPS acceptance window from the News Agency of Nigeria’s report of the same meeting. The 2025/2026 figures come from Myschool’s reprint of UNN’s advert notice (20 October 2025). UTME subjects, O’level and Direct Entry rules come from UNN’s remarks in the JAMB brochure entry for Pure and Industrial Chemistry as reprinted by Myschool, and from the UNN Faculty of Physical Sciences admission requirements page. Department history, the 2001 merger and SIWES come from UNN’s Pure and Industrial Chemistry history page on unn.edu.ng. The 180 to 200 figure is a campuscybercafe blog estimate. The aggregate method is a blog method (Studentship), not UNN policy, and the ₦25,000 acceptance fee comes from an O3schools page without an official source. The safe target scores are my own advice. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated if UNN publishes departmental cut off marks.
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.
