The ABSU cut off mark for History and International Studies 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 chose ABSU as first or second choice. There is no separate History figure, so 150 only qualifies you for screening; 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.
History and International Studies is one of the steadier humanities courses at ABSU, with four full NUC results in a row. The detail candidates miss is in the O’level line, which names Geography, and ABSU has no remark that waives it.
ABSU History and International Studies 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 | Not published | ABSU released no per-course figures |
| My safe target score | 170 or more | My advice, not an ABSU rule |
| Course name to pick on JAMB | History and International Studies | ABSU’s JAMB course list (Myschool reprint) |
| UTME subjects | Use of English plus History or Government and any two other Arts or Social Science subjects | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language, Geography and Government or History | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes or NCE (upper credit) in History or Government and a related subject | JAMB brochure (Myschool reprint) |
| NUC status | Full (latest of four full results, maturity date 2028) | NUC accreditation results, 1990 to 2025 |
| Screening fee | ₦2,000 | Notice reprint |
ABSU History and International Studies 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 |
| History and International Studies figure | None published | Blog “departmental cut-off” tables cite no ABSU document | Unofficial |
ABSU’s notice gave one figure for all courses. If a blog shows you a “departmental cut-off” for History and International Studies at ABSU, ask which ABSU document it came from. None was released for 2026/2027.
Safe target score for History and International Studies at ABSU (my advice)
The “International Studies” half of the name pulls in candidates who are really thinking about diplomacy and foreign affairs, so the course draws more interest than plain History once did. It is still far less crowded than Law or Political Science. This table is my reading, not an ABSU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for ABSU History and International Studies |
|---|---|
| Below 150 | Not eligible for screening |
| 150 to 159 | Eligible; you need clean credits, including Geography |
| 160 to 169 | A fair chance |
| 170 to 189 | Good |
| 190 and above | Strong |
I would aim for 170 or more. If your first love is Political Science and you scored in the 150s, History and International Studies is a sensible course to hold, since the two share subjects and career paths.
JAMB subject combination and O’level for History and International Studies at ABSU
| Requirement | What the JAMB brochure says |
|---|---|
| Course name on JAMB | History and International Studies (Arts and Humanities) |
| UTME | History or Government, and any two other subjects from Arts and Social Sciences |
| O’level | Five SSCE credits to include English Language, Geography and Government or History |
| Direct Entry | Two A-level passes or NCE (upper credit) in History or Government and any other related subject |
| ABSU remarks | None; every remark on this entry names another university |
Best UTME combination
Use of English is compulsory. Then you need History or Government plus two Arts or Social Science subjects. I would write Government, History and Literature in English if your school taught History, or Government, Literature in English and Economics or CRS if it did not. Government is the safer anchor for most candidates, because far more schools teach it than History.
The Geography trap
The general O’level line names Geography alongside English Language and Government or History. Several universities have remarks that make Geography optional, but ABSU is not one of them. On the brochure wording, an ABSU candidate without a Geography credit is short of the requirement. If you missed it, sit NECO or the WAEC GCE and combine the two results, since most Nigerian universities accept two sittings; confirm ABSU’s sitting rule with the admissions office.
Mathematics is not named in the general 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 a missing Mathematics credit is the most common question at clearance for arts students.
Direct Entry
The brochure accepts two A-level passes, or an NCE at upper credit, in History or Government and a related subject. There is no ABSU remark for this course, so the general line applies. NCE holders who studied History or Social Studies should ask the department whether they enter at 200 level before buying the form.
How ABSU screens History and International Studies 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 your O’level grades in English, Government or History and Geography are what ABSU uses to rank you.
Worked example for History and International Studies 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.
- Chukwuemeka scored 168 with B3 in English, B2 in Government, B3 in Geography, A1 in History, C4 in Literature in English. UTME points: 168 ÷ 8 = 21. O’level points: 8 + 9 + 8 + 10 + 7 = 42. Illustrative total: 63.
- Amarachi scored 185 with C6 in English, C5 in Government, C6 in Geography, C5 in History, C6 in Literature in English. UTME points: 185 ÷ 8 = 23.12. O’level points: 5 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 5 = 27. Illustrative total: 50.12.
- The result: Chukwuemeka leads by 12.88 points even though Amarachi scored 17 marks more in the UTME. Better credits in the named subjects gave Chukwuemeka the edge.
How to apply for History and International Studies 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 History and International Studies at Abia State University with Use of English plus Government or History and two Arts or Social Science subjects. 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 English Language, Geography and Government or History all show 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 History and International Studies 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.
History and International Studies at ABSU: the programme
The department sits in the humanities side of ABSU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. AdmitNode, a third-party site, lists it as “History and International Relations”, but JAMB and NUC both use the name History and International Studies. 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 a course outline that I could reach. History and International Studies degrees in Nigeria follow the NUC benchmark, so you can expect:
- Nigerian and African history: pre-colonial states, the Igbo and their neighbours, colonial rule, independence and the civil war.
- World history: Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, and the slave trade.
- International relations: theories of international politics, diplomacy, foreign policy and international organisations such as the UN, AU and ECOWAS.
- Economic and social history: trade, labour, religion and social change.
- Historical method: sources, oral tradition, archives and writing history.
- Research project: a final-year long essay on a topic you choose.
Accreditation, degree and duration
NUC’s publication of accreditation results from 1990 to 2025 lists ABSU History and International Studies with two early interim results followed by four full results and a maturity date of 2028. The extracted text does not tie each result to a year, so I read the last entry as the latest: full accreditation, due for its next visit in 2028. The degree is normally a B.A., and four years is the usual length for UTME entrants; ABSU’s own page confirming either was not available.
The same document lists Education History at ABSU with “Denied” as its latest result. That is a separate course in the College of Education. If you want to teach, this B.A. followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Education is the safer path at ABSU.
Careers
- The Nigerian foreign service and roles with international organisations and embassies.
- Civil service, local government and policy roles.
- Journalism, broadcasting and research for media houses.
- Museums, archives and heritage work.
- Teaching, after a PGDE and TRCN registration.
- Postgraduate study in international relations, diplomacy, strategic studies or law.
Related ABSU courses
- ABSU Political Science cut-off mark
- ABSU Government and Public Administration cut-off mark
- ABSU Philosophy cut-off mark
- ABSU French 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 History applicants an ABSU place
- No Geography credit: the general O’level line names it and ABSU has no waiver.
- Leaving out both History and Government in the UTME: one of the two is required.
- Registering for Education History by mistake: its latest NUC result is Denied.
- Trusting a blog’s departmental cut-off: ABSU published none.
- 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 History and International Studies: frequently asked questions
Do I need Geography for History and International Studies in ABSU? On the JAMB brochure wording, yes. The O’level line names English Language, Geography and Government or History, and ABSU has no remark that waives Geography.
What JAMB subjects do I need for History and International Studies in ABSU? Use of English, History or Government, and two other Arts or Social Science subjects. Government, History and Literature in English is a strong set.
Is History and International Studies in ABSU accredited? NUC’s published results show full accreditation as the latest result, with a maturity date of 2028.
Can I enter ABSU History with NCE? The brochure accepts an NCE at upper credit in History or Government and a related subject, or two A-level passes in those areas.
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 History and International Studies, 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.
