The ADSU cut-off mark for English Language is 150 in the UTME. Adamawa State University, Mubi printed that figure for “English” in its approved programme cut-off list for the 2026/2027 session, signed for the Registrar by Admission Officer Dunfe S. Anjili. Both programmes in ADSU’s Faculty of Arts, English and History, sit at 150, the JAMB national minimum for universities.
2027/2028 update: ADSU 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.
The score is rarely what keeps arts students out of ADSU English. The subjects are: Literature in English is compulsory in the UTME and at O’level, and ADSU’s notice asks every candidate for a Mathematics credit. This page covers both, plus the official figures, a safe target, NUC’s latest result for the course and how screening worked in 2026/2027.
ADSU English Language cut-off mark at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ADSU cut-off for English Language (listed as “English”) | 150 | Official ADSU list for 2026/2027 |
| JAMB national minimum for universities | 150 | Official (JAMB policy meeting, 11 May 2026) |
| Departmental merit cut-off (score of the last person admitted) | Not published | ADSU has released no such figure |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts | ADSU cut-off list |
| Screening | Online, ₦2,000, 15 June to 30 October 2026 | ADSU notice as reprinted; closed |
| UTME subjects | Literature in English, one other Arts subject and one Arts or Social Science subject | JAMB brochure general line; no ADSU remark |
| On JAMB’s course list for ADSU | Yes, as “English Language” | Myschool reprint of the JAMB brochure, checked 3 November 2026 |
ADSU English Language cut-off history
| Session | ADSU cut-off for English Language | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 150 | ADSU approved programme cut-off list (signed for the Registrar by Dunfe S. Anjili) |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | ADSU programme cut-off list for 2025/2026 (signed for the Registrar by Angyatiya B. Atimi) |
| Change | No change | Comparison of the two official lists |
ADSU kept English Language at 150 in both sessions. Most of ADSU’s list did not move between the two years. The changes were at the top: Law rose from 220 to 230 for Adamawa indigenes and from 250 to 260 for everyone else, Biochemistry went from 160 to 170, and Animal Production and Business Administration went from 150 to 160. Two years at 150 is a good sign that 150 is the figure to plan with for 2027/2028.
Where English Language sits among ADSU’s cut-off tiers
| ADSU cut-off | Programmes on the 2026/2027 list |
|---|---|
| 230 (Adamawa indigenes) and 260 (non-indigenes) | Common Law and Sharia |
| 170 | Biochemistry, Microbiology, Computer Science |
| 160 | Animal Production, Cyber Security, Business Administration, Mass Communication |
| 150 | Every other programme on the list, including all Arts and Education courses and the remaining Agriculture, Science, Management and Social Science courses |
English is in the 150 group with History and most of ADSU’s Social Science courses. Mass Communication, at 160, is the arts-side course set higher, and Law is far above at 230 for Adamawa indigenes and 260 for others.
The Mathematics credit trap for arts students
JAMB’s brochure line for English Language does not name Mathematics among the required O’level credits. It asks for Literature in English, English Language and three other Arts or Social Science subjects. ADSU’s 2026/2027 notice, however, asked every candidate for five credits including English and Mathematics.
Where an institution states a stricter rule than the brochure, plan for the stricter rule. If you have only a pass in Mathematics, write NECO or WAEC GCE again before the next screening and upload the new result to CAPS. I would not count on ADSU waiving the Maths credit for English, because nothing I found says it does.
Safe target score for English Language at ADSU (my advice)
ADSU publishes a minimum score for each course and nothing about the scores of the people it finally admitted. The table below is my judgement as an admissions adviser, based on where English Language sits on ADSU’s list. It is not an ADSU rule.
| Your UTME score | My read for ADSU English Language |
|---|---|
| Below 150 | Not eligible for English Language at ADSU, and below JAMB’s national minimum for universities |
| 150 to 164 | Eligible. Clean O’level results and early CAPS upload matter most here |
| 165 to 179 | Comfortable for a 150-tier course at ADSU |
| 180 and above | Strong. This is the range I would aim for |
For the 2027 UTME I would aim for at least 170, ideally 180, with credits in English Language, Literature in English, Mathematics and two other Arts or Social Science subjects.
Catchment and indigeneship
The only catchment rule on ADSU’s 2026/2027 list is in Law, where Adamawa indigenes need 230 and everyone else needs 260. English Language has one figure, 150, for every candidate. ADSU has published no state quota or catchment split for the course, so a candidate from Borno, Gombe or Lagos faces the same printed minimum as one from Mubi.
UTME subject combination and O’level for ADSU English Language
| Requirement | English Language at ADSU |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Literature in English, one other Arts subject, and one Arts or Social Science subject |
| O’level (brochure) | Five credits including Literature in English, English Language and three other Arts or Social Science subjects |
| ADSU general rule | Five credits including English Language and Mathematics (2026/2027 notice) |
| Exams accepted | WAEC, NECO or NABTEB |
| Sittings | Not stated in ADSU’s notice; one sitting is the safer plan |
| ADSU-specific brochure remark | None found |
Literature in English must be one of your UTME subjects. Candidates who register English, Government, CRS and Economics and then pick English Language as a course are not qualified, however high the score.
Good choices for the other two UTME subjects are Government, CRS or IRS, History, or Hausa. Check the list on the JAMB portal when you register.
Direct Entry
The general Direct Entry line asks for two A-level passes including Literature in English and one other Arts subject. I found no ADSU remark for this course. ADSU screened Direct Entry candidates in its online exercise in 2026/2027.
How ADSU screening worked for English Language in 2026/2027
ADSU ran its 2026/2027 screening online. Its notice, as reprinted by Myschool on 12 June 2026, described an online exercise and did not announce any written test, so do not let anyone sell you ADSU “post-UTME past questions” as if a test were certain.
| Detail | ADSU 2026/2027 screening |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose ADSU as first choice in the 2026 UTME, scored 150 or more and met the course cut-off, plus Direct Entry candidates. Others had to make ADSU their first choice on the JAMB portal |
| Minimum for English Language | 150 |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and Mathematics |
| Fee | ₦2,000 |
| Dates | Monday 15 June to 30 October 2026 (closed) |
| Where | www.adsu.edu.ng, through the post UTME link |
| Written test | None announced in the notice |
Worked example: two English Language candidates
ADSU has not published an aggregate formula, and with no announced test there was no Post-UTME score to combine with the UTME. So the useful sum is the gap between your score, the 150 cut-off and the safe target above. The two candidates below are illustrations.
- Hauwa (174; UTME English, Literature, Government and CRS; credits in English, Literature, Mathematics, Government and CRS): 174 minus 150 = 24 marks above the cut-off. Her file meets both the brochure line and ADSU’s Maths credit rule.
- Joseph (191; UTME English, Literature, Government and History; Mathematics D7): 191 minus 150 = 41 marks above the cut-off, but a D7 is a pass, not a credit. Under ADSU’s notice he is short on O’level until he gets a Maths credit.
Joseph’s score would put him in the top part of the pool, which is why his case hurts. Fix the Maths credit and his application becomes one of the strongest.
How to apply for English Language at ADSU, step by step
- Get your JAMB profile code: send NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN to 55019 or 66019 from the phone line linked to your NIN.
- Register the UTME correctly: choose English Language with English, Literature in English, one other Arts subject and one Arts or Social Science subject, with Adamawa State University, Mubi as your first choice.
- Fix your first choice if needed: ADSU’s notice told candidates who had not chosen ADSU to change their first choice to ADSU on the JAMB portal. Our guide to JAMB change of institution explains how.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: do it at an accredited JAMB centre as soon as your result is out. ADSU needs five credits including English Language and Mathematics.
- Complete ADSU screening: when ADSU opens screening (in 2026 it ran from 15 June to 30 October), go to www.adsu.edu.ng, click the post UTME link, fill in your details and pay the screening fee (₦2,000 in 2026). Print what the portal gives you.
- Watch and accept on CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, open Check Admission Status, then Access my CAPS. Accept the offer when it appears. JAMB gives four weeks to accept.
- Pay acceptance and clear: ADSU’s acceptance fee was not in any official source I could reach, so take the amount and payment method from the ADSU portal itself, never from an agent.
Warning
Every genuine ADSU offer appears on JAMB CAPS. Pay screening and acceptance fees only through what the ADSU portal shows you, and ignore anyone selling “admission slots” for ADSU.
JAMB set 31 October 2026 as the 2026/2027 admission deadline for public universities, and ADSU is a state-owned public university; that date has now passed. If you applied in 2026, check your status on JAMB CAPS and the ADSU portal. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains each status. If you are writing the UTME in 2027, start with when JAMB 2027 registration starts.
Studying English Language at ADSU
The programme is in ADSU’s Faculty of Arts at Mubi; the cut-off list calls it English, and JAMB lists it as English Language. Arts degrees in Nigeria are B.A. and normally take four years through the UTME. ADSU has not stated the title or duration on its list, so confirm with the department.
Accreditation
NUC’s accreditation results publication (1990 to 2025) lists ADSU English Language with results Full, then Interim, and 2026 as the maturity year. An Interim result means NUC found gaps to fix and set a revisit, and with a 2026 maturity year that revisit is due about now. Ask the department for its current accreditation status before you accept an offer.
What you study
English Language degrees in Nigeria focus on how the language works and how it is used, with some literature. ADSU has not published a course outline that I could check, so read the list below as typical content.
- Sounds and structure: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics.
- Use: sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, stylistics and English in Nigeria.
- Applied work: applied linguistics, language teaching and editing or writing skills.
- Literature and project: some literature-in-English courses and a final-year research project.
Careers
- Teaching (with a postgraduate diploma in education where required)
- Editing, publishing, copywriting and content work
- Journalism, broadcasting and public relations
- Civil service, administration and postgraduate study in linguistics
Related ADSU courses
- ADSU History cut-off mark (150)
- ADSU Journalism and Media Studies cut-off mark (150)
- ADSU Mass Communication cut-off mark (160)
- ADSU Public Relations cut-off mark (150)
For your other Arts UTME subjects, our JAMB Government syllabus is a good place to start.
Mistakes that cost English Language applicants an ADSU place
- No Literature in English in the UTME: it is compulsory for this course.
- Reading 150 as an admission score: it is the minimum to be considered. Admission still depends on the pool of applicants.
- Missing Mathematics: ADSU’s notice asked for five credits including English Language and Mathematics, whatever the course.
- No O’level on CAPS: an upload done late or at the wrong centre leaves your record incomplete when ADSU reviews it.
- Leaving ADSU as second choice: the screening notice was for first-choice candidates.
- Accepting on CAPS and stopping there: acceptance fee and clearance at ADSU are separate steps.
If you are trying again, our guide to JAMB change of course covers what you can still change after registration.
ADSU English Language cut-off mark: frequently asked questions
Is 150 enough for English in ADSU? Yes, 150 meets ADSU’s 2026/2027 cut-off for English. I would aim for 170 to 180 to be comfortable.
Is Literature compulsory for English Language in JAMB? Yes. The JAMB brochure line requires Literature in English plus one other Arts subject and one Arts or Social Science subject.
Do I need a credit in Mathematics to study English at ADSU? ADSU’s 2026/2027 notice asked every candidate for five credits including English and Mathematics, so plan on a Maths credit.
Is English Language in ADSU accredited? NUC’s publication lists ADSU English Language as Interim with a 2026 maturity year. Ask the department for the latest result.
Sources and updates
The 150 cut-off for English Language and the full list of ADSU tiers come from ADSU’s approved programme cut-off mark list for the 2026/2027 session, issued by the Office of the Registrar and signed by Dunfe S. Anjili, Admission Officer, for the Registrar. The 2025/2026 figures come from ADSU’s programme cut-off mark list for 2025/2026, signed for the Registrar by Angyatiya B. Atimi. The 150 general minimum, the five-credit O’level rule, the ₦2,000 fee, the 15 June to 30 October 2026 window and the online screening come from ADSU’s Post-UTME/DE notice as reprinted by Myschool (12 June 2026) and Androidpols (15 June 2026); I did not see the original notice PDF. The national minimum of 150, the 31 October 2026 deadline for public universities and the four-week acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria (11 May 2026). Subject requirements are the general lines of the JAMB brochure entry for English Language as reprinted by Myschool (checked 3 November 2026). Accreditation details are from NUC’s undergraduate accreditation results publication (1990 to 2025). The safe target scores and worked examples are my advice, not ADSU policy, and ADSU’s acceptance fee is not confirmed. Checked on 3 November 2026; this page will be updated when ADSU publishes its 2027/2028 cut-off list.
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.
