The MAU cut off mark for Plant Science is 160 in the UTME. That is the minimum Modibbo Adama University, Yola (MAU, formerly MAUTECH) set for candidates registering for its 2026/2027 screening, as reprinted by Myschool on 15 July 2026. JAMB’s national minimum for universities is 150, and MAU has not published a separate departmental cut-off for Plant Science. Plant Science has one of the smaller applicant pools among MAU’s science courses, so a candidate just above the minimum has a realistic chance.
2027/2028 update: MAU 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 MAU’s latest screening notice (2026/2027), as reprinted by Myschool. If the 2027/2028 notice changes anything, we will update this page.
Below are the official figures, a safe target score (my advice), the UTME subjects from JAMB’s brochure entry for MAU, O’level and Direct Entry rules, the screening steps and what you can do with the degree.
MAU cut off mark for Plant Science at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| MAU minimum UTME score to register for screening | 160 | Reported by Myschool (15 July 2026) from MAU’s notice; I could not open the notice on mau.edu.ng |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| MAU departmental cut-off for Plant Science | Not published | No figure for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| Screening registration | 20 July to 31 August 2026 (closed) | Myschool reprint of MAU’s notice |
| Screening fee | ₦2,000 in 2025; 2026 fee not found | Studentship reprint of MAU’s 2025 notice |
| UTME subjects | Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics | JAMB brochure remark for MAUTECH (via Myschool) |
| 2026/2027 admission deadline | 31 October 2026 for public universities (passed) | NAN, 11 May 2026 |
MAU Plant Science cut-off history
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 | MAU minimum UTME score to register for screening (MAU as first choice) | Myschool reprint, 15 July 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Official |
| 2025/2026 | 160 | MAU minimum UTME score to register for screening | Studentship reprint of MAU’s signed notice, 9 August 2025 |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Nairametrics, 8 July 2025 |
| Either year | None | Separate cut-off for Plant Science | MAU has not published one |
MAU has used 160 for two sessions in a row, ten marks above JAMB’s floor. Neither notice set a separate mark for Plant Science or any other department. If a blog prints a “departmental cut-off” for MAU Plant Science, ask where it came from, because no MAU document I found contains one. The real admission score for the course is whatever the last admitted candidate had, and MAU does not publish that.
Safe target score for Plant Science at MAU (my advice)
This table is my judgement as an admissions adviser. It is not an MAU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for MAU Plant Science |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for MAU screening |
| 160 to 169 | Eligible; your O’level grades decide a lot |
| 170 to 184 | A good chance |
| 185 and above | Strong for this course |
Plant Science (often called Botany) has fewer first-choice applicants than Microbiology or Biochemistry. Many of its students arrive through CAPS transfers. A candidate who chooses it on purpose with clean O’level results is well placed.
For the 2027 UTME I would aim for at least 170, ideally 185, with good credits in Biology and Chemistry.
Catchment and state of origin
MAU is a federal university, so JAMB’s admission guidelines for federal institutions apply, and those set aside part of every course’s places for merit, catchment and educationally less developed states. MAU has not published how it splits Plant Science places or which states it counts as catchment. Its 2025 screening form did ask for a state of origin (indigene) form, so have one ready, but I would not count on state of origin to rescue a low score.
UTME subject combination and O’level for Plant Science at MAU
| Requirement | Plant Science at MAU |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics or Mathematics. JAMB’s brochure remark says MAUTECH requires this “for both Plant Science and Biotechnology”. |
| O’level | Five credits in English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (JAMB’s general line; MAU has no separate O’level remark for this course) |
| Exams accepted | WAEC, NECO or NABTEB (as reported in reprints of MAU’s admission information) |
| Sittings | Up to two. MAU’s 2025 screening form let candidates enter their best five subjects from a maximum of two sittings. |
| Awaiting result | MAU’s notices that I reached do not mention it. The screening form needed actual grades, so plan to have your result before screening opens. |
| Direct Entry | See the list below |
JAMB’s general UTME line for Plant Science accepts “any other science subject” with Biology and Chemistry. MAU’s remark narrows that to Physics or Mathematics, so Agricultural Science or Geography as the fourth subject will not meet MAU’s line.
The brochure entry has no MAU-specific O’level remark, so the general five credits apply. The Biotechnology entry for MAU uses the same five subjects, which suggests this is what the department expects.
Direct Entry requirements for Plant Science at MAU
- Two A-level credit passes in Biology and Chemistry (brochure remark for MAUTECH).
- NCE, ND or HND in a relevant field.
- O’level credits as above still apply.
One thing to clear up early: Myschool’s reprint of MAU’s 2026 notice puts Direct Entry applicants in the same sentence as the 160 mark. DE candidates do not write the UTME, so ask MAU’s admissions office how that line applies to you before you pay for screening.
How MAU screening works for Plant Science
MAU screens online. For 2026/2027, registration ran from Monday 20 July to Monday 31 August 2026 for candidates who chose MAU first and scored 160 or more, and that window has closed. Myschool’s reprint did not give the 2026 fee or the portal, and it did not say whether a written test followed. The fuller details below come from MAU’s 2025 notice as reprinted by Studentship, so treat that column as last year’s process.
| Detail | 2026/2027 (latest) | 2025/2026 (last year’s process) |
|---|---|---|
| Who could register | MAU first choice, 160 or more in UTME or DE application | MAU first choice, 160 or more |
| Dates | 20 July to 31 August 2026 (closed) | 4 to 31 August 2025 |
| Fee | Not stated in the reprint | ₦2,000, non-refundable, plus Remita and VAT charges |
| Portal | Not stated in the reprint | mau_postutme.admissions.cloud, also reachable from mau.edu.ng under “Undergraduate Admissions” |
| Test | Not stated | Schedule “to be announced”; format not stated |
| Not MAU first choice? | Change institution and course at a JAMB office or CBT centre first | Same rule |
Worked example for Plant Science candidates
MAU has not published an aggregate formula, and no source says whether its screening includes a scored test. So the useful calculation is the gap between your UTME score, the 160 minimum and a safe target. The candidates below are illustrations, not real applicants.
Take Bello, who scored 171 with B3 in Biology, C4 in Chemistry, C4 in English, C5 in Mathematics and C6 in Physics from one sitting.
- Eligibility: 171 minus 160 = 11. He clears MAU’s screening minimum.
- Against my safe target: 171 is inside my “good chance” band for Plant Science.
- O’level check: all five subjects are credits in one sitting.
- What I would advise: list Plant Science and register early in the screening window.
Chiamaka scored 189 but wants Biotechnology. Both courses use the same UTME subjects at MAU. If MAU offers her Plant Science on CAPS, the overlap in content means she would still study genetics and plant biotechnology.
Some Nigerian universities average the UTME score with a Post-UTME score, often 50:50. MAU has not said it does this, so treat any “MAU aggregate calculator” online as guesswork.
How to apply for Plant Science at MAU, step by step
- Get your profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with the profile code you need to buy the UTME form.
- Register for the UTME: choose Plant Science with English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or Mathematics), and make MAU your first choice. JAMB still lists it as MAUTECH in many places. If you picked another school, do a change of institution at a JAMB office before MAU’s screening opens.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do this at a JAMB CBT centre. MAU’s 2025 notice told candidates to upload O’level results (and A-level results for DE) on JAMB’s portal as well as on MAU’s form.
- Watch for the screening notice: the last two windows opened on 4 August 2025 and 20 July 2026, and both closed on 31 August. Check mau.edu.ng from June.
- Fill MAU’s form: in 2025 this meant verifying with your JAMB registration number, creating an account, confirming your email, generating a Remita RRR and paying, uploading a passport photo (150 kb at most) and signature, entering your best five O’level subjects with result checker details, adding next of kin details, uploading your O’level result, state of origin form and birth certificate, then printing the slip.
- Check and accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, choose Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS. Accept the offer if Plant Science or a course you can live with appears.
- Pay acceptance and clear: MAU has not published its acceptance fee in any source I reached. Pay only against an invoice from MAU’s own portal, then complete clearance with your original documents.
Warning
Every genuine MAU offer shows on JAMB CAPS, and JAMB has said admissions done outside CAPS are illegal. Ignore anyone selling MAU Plant Science “slots” or admission letters, and pay only through invoices generated on MAU’s portal.
Myschool reported in early October 2026 that MAU’s 2026/2027 admission list was on JAMB CAPS. JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 deadline for public universities; that date has now passed. If you applied this year, check your status anyway, and use our JAMB CAPS guide to read what each status means.
Studying Plant Science at MAU
Plant Science sits with MAU’s life sciences in Wikipedia and reprints; I could not confirm the current faculty or department name on an MAU page. The degree normally runs for four years from 100 level.
Plant Science covers how plants are built, how they grow, how they are classified, how they interact with their environment and diseases, and how they can be improved. MAU is in a farming region, which gives the subject practical weight.
Accreditation
I could not confirm the NUC accreditation status of MAU’s Plant Science degree, and no NUC report naming it came up. Ask the department for its current NUC status before you accept.
What you study
- 100 level: general biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
- 200 and 300 levels: plant anatomy and morphology, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, genetics and mycology.
- Later years: plant pathology, plant breeding, ethnobotany, tissue culture and biotechnology.
- Industrial training: SIWES, field work, then a research project.
Careers after Plant Science
- Agricultural research institutes and seed companies.
- Forestry, conservation and environmental agencies.
- Herbarium, botanical garden and ecological survey work.
- Teaching biology.
- Postgraduate study in plant breeding, pathology or biotechnology.
Related MAU courses
- MAU Biotechnology cut-off mark
- MAU Biological Sciences cut-off mark
- MAU Crop Production and Horticulture cut-off mark
- MAU Soil Science cut-off mark
Revise with our JAMB Biology syllabus and JAMB Chemistry syllabus.
Mistakes that cost Plant Science applicants an MAU place
- Treating 160 as the admission score: it only lets you register for screening.
- Agricultural Science as the fourth UTME subject: MAU’s remark asks for Physics or Mathematics.
- No Physics credit at O’level: it is part of the five subjects.
- MAU not first choice: the screening notice was for first-choice candidates, so change institution before the window opens.
- O’level missing from CAPS: MAU cannot consider you properly without it.
- Accepting on CAPS and stopping there: acceptance fee payment and clearance at MAU are separate steps.
If you are planning for the 2027 UTME, read when JAMB 2027 registration starts and our guide to JAMB change of course if you need to fix your course before screening.
MAU cut off mark for Plant Science: frequently asked questions
Is 165 enough for Plant Science in MAU? 165 clears the 160 minimum, and Plant Science has a small applicant pool. Your O’level grades will decide a lot; I would aim for 170 or more.
What are the JAMB subjects for Plant Science in MAU? English, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics or Mathematics, according to JAMB’s brochure remark for MAUTECH.
Is Plant Science the same as Botany? Largely yes. Plant Science is the modern name many Nigerian universities use for Botany, with more genetics and biotechnology added.
Can I enter Plant Science at MAU through Direct Entry? Yes, with two A-level credits in Biology and Chemistry or an NCE, ND or HND in a relevant field, plus the O’level credits.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum for 2026/2027, the 20 July to 31 August 2026 window and the change of institution rule come from Myschool’s report on MAU’s 2026 Post-UTME (15 July 2026), which reprints MAU’s notice; MAU’s own site would not load for me, so I have not seen the original. The 2025/2026 figure of 160, the ₦2,000 fee, the portal address and the form steps come from Studentship’s reprint of MAU’s signed 2025 notice (updated 9 August 2025). The subject and Direct Entry rules come from Myschool’s copy of the JAMB brochure entry for Plant Science, read on 3 November 2026. The national minimum of 150 and the 31 October 2026 deadline come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026), and the 2025/2026 national figure from Nairametrics (8 July 2025). The note on MAU’s history and its change from MAUTECH to Modibbo Adama University, Yola in January 2021 is from its Wikipedia entry. The admission list date is from a Myschool headline. Safe target scores and the worked example are my own advice. Checked on 3 November 2026; this page will be updated if MAU publishes a departmental cut-off for Plant Science or a new screening notice.
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.
