The ABSU cut off mark for Igbo is 150 in the UTME. Abia State University (ABSU) set that minimum for every regular degree course in its 2026/2027 screening notice, for candidates who picked ABSU as first or second choice. ABSU did not publish a separate figure for Igbo, so 150 makes you eligible for screening and the department then admits on merit.
2027/2028 update: ABSU 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.
Igbo is one of the least crowded degree courses at ABSU, but it has the strictest subject rule of the languages: you must write Igbo in the UTME and hold a credit in it at O’level.
ABSU Igbo cut off mark at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Source or status |
|---|---|---|
| ABSU minimum UTME score (all courses) | 150, ABSU first or second choice | ABSU notice reprinted by Osilight and Myschool, June 2026 |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | JAMB 2026 policy meeting, 11 May 2026 |
| Departmental cut-off for Igbo | Not published | ABSU released no per-course figures |
| My safe target score | 165 or more | My advice, not an ABSU rule |
| Course name to pick on JAMB | Igbo | ABSU’s JAMB course list (Myschool reprint) |
| UTME subjects | Use of English plus Igbo and two subjects from Arts and Social Sciences | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level | Five credits including Igbo, English Language and any other Arts subject | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes in Igbo and one Arts or Social Science subject | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| NUC status | Full (latest result listed, maturity date 2026) | NUC accreditation results, 1990 to 2025 |
| Screening fee | ₦2,000 | Notice reprint |
ABSU Igbo cut-off mark history
| Session | Figure | What it means | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 150 | Lowest UTME score ABSU accepted for online screening in any regular degree course (ABSU as first or second choice) | ABSU notice, reprinted 8 to 9 June 2026 |
| 2026 (national) | 150 | JAMB minimum for every Nigerian university | JAMB 2026 policy meeting, 11 May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | Not confirmed | I could not open an ABSU notice for that session | Unverified |
| Igbo figure | None published | Blog “departmental cut-off” tables cite no ABSU document | Unofficial |
ABSU’s notice gave one figure for all courses. A page that quotes an official ABSU cut-off for Igbo alone is quoting a number ABSU never released. The real cut-off each year is the score of the last candidate admitted, and ABSU does not publish it.
Safe target score for Igbo at ABSU (my advice)
Few candidates list Igbo as their first course, and the ones who do usually meet the subject rules because they chose the course on purpose. Competition is lighter than in most ABSU courses, so a score in the 160s with clean credits is usually a reasonable position. This table is my reading, not an ABSU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for ABSU Igbo |
|---|---|
| Below 150 | Not eligible for screening |
| 150 to 164 | Eligible and a fair chance with a good Igbo credit |
| 165 to 179 | Good |
| 180 and above | Strong |
I would aim for 165 or more. Your Igbo grades matter more than a few extra UTME marks, because they show the department you can handle a degree taught largely in the language.
JAMB subject combination and O’level for Igbo at ABSU
| Requirement | What the JAMB brochure says |
|---|---|
| Course name on JAMB | Igbo (Arts and Humanities) |
| UTME | Igbo and two subjects from Arts and Social Sciences |
| O’level | Five SSC credits to include Igbo, English Language and any other Arts subject |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes in Igbo and one Arts or Social Science subject |
| ABSU remarks | None; the only remarks name UI and UNILAG |
Igbo must be one of your UTME subjects
This is where Igbo differs from French and Linguistics at ABSU. Those two have ABSU remarks that relax the language requirement. Igbo has none, so the general line applies in full: Igbo plus two Arts or Social Science subjects, with Use of English on top. I would write Use of English, Igbo, Literature in English and Government or CRS. Literature helps with the literature half of the degree, and Government or CRS are subjects most arts students already take.
O’level: the Igbo credit is not optional
The O’level line names three subjects: Igbo, English Language and one other Arts subject, inside five credits. A pass (D7 or E8) in Igbo does not meet it. Mathematics is not named in the line. ABSU’s notice speaks of “basic five O’level credit passes”, and I would still hold a credit in Mathematics if you can, because it saves arguments at clearance. If you have only a pass, confirm with the ABSU admissions office before you pay.
Direct Entry
The brochure asks for two A-level passes in Igbo and one Arts or Social Science subject. ABSU has no remark on NCE holders for this course; the NCE option in the remarks belongs to UI. If you hold an NCE in Igbo, ask ABSU in writing whether it accepts it and at what level before you buy a Direct Entry form.
How ABSU screens Igbo applicants
ABSU’s 2026/2027 notice was signed by the Registrar, Dr. Acho Elendu. I could not open the original on the ABSU website, so the details below come from two reprints that agree with each other: Osilight (posted 9 June 2026) and Myschool (8 June 2026).
| Detail | What the 2026/2027 notice said |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose ABSU as first or second choice, or who changed to ABSU, and scored 150 or more in the UTME |
| Direct Entry | Basic five O’level credit passes under ABSU’s entry requirements |
| Where to register | Online at www.abiastateuniversity.edu.ng |
| What to upload | UTME result, O’level result and degree certificate where applicable, on the ABSU portal (www.portal.abiastateuniversity.edu.ng) and the JAMB portal |
| Fee | ₦2,000 by e-payment through the banks named in the notice, or by debit card |
| Missing the screening | Candidates who do not register “will not be considered for admission” |
| Written test | Not mentioned; the notice describes online document screening |
| Closing date | Not stated in the reprints |
The bank names came out garbled in the reprint, so follow the payment options on the ABSU portal itself. With no written test in the notice, your UTME score and O’level grades are what ABSU uses to rank Igbo applicants.
Worked example for Igbo candidates
ABSU has not published an aggregate formula, and the 2026/2027 notice describes document screening without a test. To show how your O’level grades can move you up or down, I use an illustrative method that many Nigerian universities use: UTME score divided by 8 (up to 50 points) plus O’level points for five relevant subjects, where A1 = 10, B2 = 9, B3 = 8, C4 = 7, C5 = 6 and C6 = 5 (up to 50 points). This is my example, not ABSU’s formula.
- Ugochi scored 158 with B3 in English, A1 in Igbo, B2 in Literature in English, B3 in CRS, C4 in Government. UTME points: 158 ÷ 8 = 19.75. O’level points: 8 + 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 = 42. Illustrative total: 61.75.
- Obinna scored 176 with C6 in English, C5 in Igbo, C6 in Literature in English, C6 in CRS, C5 in Government. UTME points: 176 ÷ 8 = 22. O’level points: 5 + 6 + 5 + 5 + 6 = 27. Illustrative total: 49.
- The result: Ugochi leads by 12.75 points even though Obinna scored 18 marks more in the UTME. An A1 in Igbo and solid credits elsewhere outweighed Obinna’s higher UTME score.
How to apply for Igbo at ABSU, step by step
- Get a JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the SIM linked to that NIN. The code arrives by SMS and you take it to a CBT centre to register.
- Register the UTME with the right subjects: pick Igbo at Abia State University with Use of English, Igbo and two Arts or Social Science subjects such as Literature in English and Government. ABSU screened first and second choice candidates in 2026/2027, but first choice is still the cleaner position. To move ABSU up later, use a JAMB change of institution.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at an accredited JAMB CBT centre once your result is out. Check that Igbo and English Language both show as credits on the upload.
- Register for ABSU screening: when the notice is out, go to www.abiastateuniversity.edu.ng, pay the screening fee (₦2,000 in 2026/2027) and upload your UTME result and O’level on the ABSU portal.
- Keep your receipts: save the payment receipt and a printout of the completed screening form. You may need both at clearance.
- Check your status: watch the ABSU portal and your JAMB CAPS page. An ABSU offer shows on CAPS first.
- Accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS, and accept. JAMB gives four weeks. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each status.
- Pay acceptance and clear: ABSU’s acceptance and school fees were not in any source I reached. Pay only the amount on your ABSU portal invoice.
Warning
Every genuine ABSU offer appears on JAMB CAPS, and JAMB said in May 2026 that admission outside CAPS is illegal. Anyone who asks for money to “process” a Igbo place is not acting for ABSU. Pay only through the ABSU portal.
JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 deadline for public universities such as ABSU to finish admissions, and kept that date when it restored CAPS (Nairametrics, 28 September 2026). Candidates in the 2026/2027 cycle should watch CAPS rather than wait for a printed list.
Igbo at ABSU: the programme
Igbo sits in the humanities side of ABSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. ABSU’s main campus is at Uturu in Isuikwuato LGA. The university began in 1981 as Imo State University and took its present name after Abia State was created in 1991.
What you study
ABSU has not published an Igbo course outline that I could reach. Igbo degrees in Nigeria follow the NUC benchmark for Nigerian languages, so you can expect:
- Igbo grammar and structure: phonology, morphology, syntax and the standard Igbo orthography.
- Dialects: the main Igbo dialects and how standard Igbo relates to them.
- Literature: Igbo oral literature (folktales, proverbs, songs) and written novels, drama and poetry.
- Culture: Igbo customs, religion, festivals and social institutions.
- Translation and writing: translating between Igbo and English, and writing for media and publishing.
- Research project: a final-year long essay, often based on fieldwork in a community.
Accreditation, degree and duration
NUC’s publication of accreditation results from 1990 to 2025 lists ABSU Igbo with a mix of interim and full results that ends in two full results, with a maturity date of 2026. I read the last entry as the latest: full accreditation. A maturity date of 2026 means the course is due for its next NUC visit around now, and the published document only runs to 2025, so the outcome of that visit is not public yet. The degree is normally a B.A. in Igbo, and four years is the usual length for UTME entrants; ABSU’s own page confirming either was not available.
The same document lists Education Igbo at ABSU with “Denied” as its latest result. That is a separate course in the College of Education, so do not mix them up on JAMB. If you want to teach Igbo, B.A. Igbo followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Education is the safer route at ABSU.
Careers
- Teaching Igbo in primary and secondary schools, after a PGDE and TRCN registration.
- Igbo-language broadcasting, news reading and programme production on radio and television.
- Translation and interpreting for government, courts, churches, NGOs and publishers.
- Editing and writing for Igbo-language books, newspapers and online media.
- Cultural work with state councils for arts and culture, museums and tourism.
- Postgraduate study in Igbo, linguistics or African studies.
Related ABSU courses
- ABSU Linguistics and Communication Studies cut-off mark
- ABSU French cut-off mark
- ABSU English Language and Literature cut-off mark
- ABSU Religious Studies cut-off mark
If you are writing in 2027, read when JAMB 2027 registration starts, and when results are out, see how to check your JAMB result. If your score or subjects do not fit, our JAMB change of course guide shows how to switch before admission closes.
Mistakes that cost Igbo applicants an ABSU place
- Leaving Igbo out of the UTME: ABSU has no remark that waives it.
- Applying with a pass in O’level Igbo: the brochure asks for a credit.
- Registering for Education Igbo by mistake: its latest NUC result is Denied.
- Assuming an NCE is accepted: the NCE option on this entry belongs to UI, so ask ABSU first.
- Not registering for screening: the notice says such candidates will not be considered.
- Missing the CAPS window: JAMB gives four weeks to accept an offer.
ABSU Igbo: frequently asked questions
Must I write Igbo in JAMB to study Igbo in ABSU? Yes. The brochure lists Igbo plus two Arts or Social Science subjects, and ABSU has no remark that changes it.
Can I study Igbo in ABSU with D7 in WAEC Igbo? No. The O’level line asks for a credit in Igbo along with English Language and another Arts subject.
What is the cut-off mark for Igbo in ABSU for 2027? ABSU’s latest notice set 150 for all courses and published no Igbo figure. I would aim for 165 or more.
Is Igbo in ABSU accredited by NUC? Yes. NUC’s published results list full accreditation as the latest result for B.A. Igbo, with a maturity date of 2026. Education Igbo, a separate course, is listed as Denied.
Sources and updates
The 150 minimum, the first and second choice rule, the Direct Entry line, the ₦2,000 fee, the registration and upload steps and the warning about candidates who fail to register come from ABSU’s 2026/2027 screening notice signed by the Registrar, Dr. Acho Elendu, as reprinted by Osilight (9 June 2026) and Myschool (8 June 2026); I could not open the original on the ABSU website. The national minimum of 150, the four-week CAPS window and the warning on admissions outside CAPS come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026), and the 31 October 2026 deadline for public universities from Nairametrics (28 September 2026). The UTME, O’level and Direct Entry rules come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure entry for Igbo, which ABSU’s JAMB course list links to. The accreditation history comes from NUC’s accreditation results, 1990 to 2025 publication. Campus and history details come from Wikipedia. ABSU’s fees, the degree title and the exact duration were not published in any source I reached. The safe target table and the worked example are my own advice and illustration. Checked on 29 October 2026; this page will be updated if ABSU publishes a departmental cut-off or new requirements.
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.
