The UNN cut off mark for Psychology for 2026/2027 is 160 in the UTME to apply for screening. That is the score in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka’s 2026/2027 screening notice of 13 July 2026, for candidates who chose UNN first. UNN has not published a departmental merit or catchment cut-off for Psychology for 2026/2027 or 2025/2026, so any “official” Psychology figure you see online did not come from UNN.
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.
The other number in circulation is 200, UNN’s minimum as reported from the JAMB 2026 policy meeting on 11 May 2026. UNN accepted screening applications from 160, its declared benchmark at the policy meeting was 200, and Psychology admits above both. This guide covers UNN’s Biology rule for Psychology (the requirement most candidates miss), O’level, Direct Entry, how screening worked, an aggregate example, merit and catchment, and the score I would aim for.
UNN cut off mark for Psychology 2027/2028 at a glance
| Item | 2026/2027 position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum UTME to apply for UNN screening | 160 | Official (UNN, 13 July 2026) |
| UNN minimum declared at the JAMB policy meeting | 200 | Reported by Vanguard, 11 May 2026 |
| Departmental cut-off for Psychology | Not published | No UNN list for 2025/2026 or 2026/2027 |
| UTME subjects | English, Biology and any two other subjects | JAMB brochure, UNN remark (confirm on IBASS) |
| O’level | Credits in English Language, Biology or Health Science and three other subjects, at least a pass in Mathematics or Statistics | JAMB brochure, UNN remark |
| Faculty and campus | Faculty of Social Sciences, Nsukka | UNN |
| Screening window | 15 July to 5 August 2026 | Closed |
The 160 is UNN’s general cut-off, which decides who can be screened. The departmental cut-off is the lowest score actually admitted into Psychology after ranking, and UNN does not release it. The target I give later is my advice, not a UNN number.
UNN Psychology cut-off history
Only these figures trace back to UNN or JAMB. None is a Psychology score.
| Session | Figure | What it is | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/2027 | 160 | UTME score needed to apply for UNN screening (UNN as first choice) | Official, UNN Registrar notice of 13 July 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 200 | Minimum UNN declared at the JAMB 2026 policy meeting | Reported by Vanguard and News Central, 11 May 2026 |
| 2026/2027 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for all universities | Official JAMB policy, May 2026 |
| 2025/2026 | 160 | UTME and screening threshold in UNN’s advert (shopping) notice | Official notice, seen through reprints |
| 2025/2026 | 150 | JAMB national minimum for universities | Official JAMB policy, July 2025 |
| 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 | Not published | Departmental cut-off for this course | UNN has released no departmental list |
A blog lists Psychology at UNN at about 220 to 230 for “2025/2026”. It calls its numbers estimates from trends and does not say whether they are UTME scores or aggregates. Use it, if at all, as an unofficial estimate.
UTME subject combination for Psychology at UNN
The general JAMB rule for Psychology is English plus any three Arts or Social Science subjects. UNN departs from that: its remark in the JAMB brochure says UNN requires Biology and any two other subjects. If you write English, Government, CRS and Economics, you may fit Psychology at other universities and still miss UNN’s rule.
| Requirement | What you need for Psychology at UNN |
|---|---|
| UTME subjects | Use of English, Biology, plus any two other subjects |
| O’level | Five credits including English Language and Biology (or Health Science), plus three other subjects; at least a pass in Mathematics or Statistics |
| Direct Entry | UNN accepts diploma certificates, NCE, ND, HND, a B.Sc. or Registered Nursing/Midwifery, along with the UTME requirements |
| Minimum UTME to apply | 160, with UNN as first choice |
A word of caution. UNN’s older Faculty of Social Sciences admission page, written in pre-UTME wording and partly garbled online, appears to mention Government or History for Psychology. The brochure’s UNN remark says Biology. To cover both, I would write English, Biology, Government and Economics or CRS in the UTME, and hold O’level credits in Biology and Government. Check your combination on your JAMB profile before registration, since I could not open the official IBASS brochure from here.
If Biology is not your strongest subject, start early with our JAMB Biology syllabus guide.
UNN screening for 2027/2028: what Psychology candidates had to do
UNN did not run a written post-UTME test for 2026/2027. The Registrar’s notice of 13 July 2026 described an online screening registration only, with no test date and no exam format. If a website is selling you “UNN post-UTME past questions for 2026/2027” as preparation for Psychology, know that the official notice did not mention any paper.
| Detail | 2026/2027 screening |
|---|---|
| Who could apply | Candidates who chose UNN as first choice in the 2026 UTME and scored 160 or more |
| Opened | Wednesday 15 July 2026 |
| Closed | Midnight, Wednesday 5 August 2026 |
| Fees | ₦2,000 application fee plus ₦3,300 processing fee (₦5,300 in total), paid through Remita |
| O’level upload | To JAMB CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026 |
| Awaiting results | Not eligible; results had to be out |
| Age | Candidates under 16 by 30 September 2026 were told not to apply |
| Names | Names on WAEC or NECO results must match the names on the JAMB record |
| Uploads | Birth certificate, LGA identification, testimonial, First School Leaving Certificate, JAMB result slip and O’level result(s), each under 100KB |
The portal route was unn.edu.ng, then UNN Portal at the top right (unnportal.unn.edu.ng), then Prospective Students and the 2026/2027 screening form. You entered your JAMB registration number, generated and paid the invoice, came back to fill personal and O’level details (including centre and exam numbers), uploaded your documents, reviewed, submitted and printed the acknowledgement slip. The notice warned that date of birth cannot be changed after submission.
The window is closed. If you did not register by 5 August 2026, UNN cannot consider you for 2026/2027, whatever your score.
How UNN ranks Psychology candidates (aggregate example)
UNN has not published its aggregate formula. Neither the 2026/2027 screening notice nor the 2025/2026 advert notice gives weights or grade points. The 2025/2026 advert notice did refer to a separate screening score with a 160 threshold, but it did not say how that score is worked out.
Several Nigerian education blogs describe the same method, and it is the one you will see most often: 60% of your UTME score plus 40% of an O’level score built from four relevant subjects, where A1 = 100, B2 = 90, B3 = 80, C4 = 70, C5 = 60 and C6 = 50. Treat the example below as an illustration of that blog method. It is not an official UNN formula.
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| UTME score | 235 |
| O’level: English Language | B3 = 80 |
| O’level: Biology | B2 = 90 |
| O’level: Government | C4 = 70 |
| O’level: Economics | C5 = 60 |
| O’level total (out of 400) | 300 |
| 60% of UTME | 235 × 0.6 = 141 |
| 40% of O’level | 300 × 0.4 = 120 |
| Aggregate (out of 400) | 141 + 120 = 261 |
That candidate ends at 261 out of 400 on the blog method. Raising Economics from C5 to B3 adds 8 points to the aggregate, about 13 UTME marks. UNN has not confirmed which O’level subjects it counts, so use this to understand how grades move your position, not to predict an outcome.
Merit, catchment and ELDS for Psychology at UNN
UNN is a federal university, so it works under the federal admission guideline that is widely reported as 45% merit, 35% catchment and 20% educationally less developed states (ELDS). UNN has not published its own split for any course, so read that as the national policy rather than a UNN figure.
- Merit: the top scorers in the course, from any state, fill this list first. It is where the highest cut-off sits.
- Catchment: UNN has not published its catchment list. It is generally understood to be the South-East states; confirm on JAMB CAPS or with the UNN admissions office before you count on it.
- ELDS: this is a federal designation. UNN does not publish its own ELDS list, and I would not rely on any blog that names states “for UNN”.
- State of origin: the state on your JAMB profile is what counts, and UNN asks for an LGA identification letter as proof during screening.
Psychology is popular but less crowded than Mass Communication or Economics. A South-East candidate who misses merit can still be considered on the catchment list at a lower score. UNN has not said how many places Psychology has for 2026/2027.
What score should you aim for in Psychology at UNN?
My advice (not a UNN figure): aim for 230 or more in the UTME for a real chance on merit, and 240 or more if your O’level grades are mostly C4 to C6. In the 210s and 220s, strong grades or a catchment state can carry you.
| Your UTME score | My reading for Psychology at UNN |
|---|---|
| Below 160 | Not eligible for UNN screening |
| 160 to 199 | Eligible, but below UNN’s declared 200 benchmark; plan a backup |
| 200 to 219 | Possible on catchment with strong grades |
| 220 to 239 | Competitive |
| 240 and above | Strong position on merit |
If you are short, UNN’s October 2025 advert list showed 140 unfilled places in Combined Social Sciences. That was a vacancy count for 2025/2026, not a cut-off, but it shows where the faculty had room.
Step by step: from JAMB profile to resuming for Psychology at UNN
Warning
JAMB’s 2026 policy gives candidates four weeks to accept an admission offer on CAPS. An offer left unaccepted after that can be withdrawn and given to someone else, so check CAPS every few days once UNN starts releasing lists.
- Get or recover your JAMB profile code: text NIN, a space and your 11-digit NIN (for example, NIN 12345678901) to 55019 or 66019 from the phone number linked to your NIN. JAMB replies with your profile code, which you need for registration and other JAMB services.
- Make UNN your first choice: UNN screens only candidates who chose it first. If you are planning for 2027, pick UNN and Psychology at registration so you do not pay for a change of institution later.
- Upload your O’level to CAPS: your WAEC, NECO or NABTEB result has to show on your JAMB profile. For 2026/2027 UNN asked for the upload to CAPS and the UNN portal by 5 August 2026. A JAMB-accredited CBT centre can do the CAPS upload for you.
- Register for UNN screening: when the next notice comes out, fill the form on unnportal.unn.edu.ng, pay through Remita and print your acknowledgement slip.
- Check CAPS: log in at efacility.jamb.gov.ng, click Check Admission Status, then Access My CAPS and Admission Status. On a phone, switch your browser to desktop view first.
- Accept or reject: read the course name carefully, then click Accept. If you see a Transfer Approval, UNN is offering you a different course, and you must respond to that before anything else.
- Print your JAMB admission letter and pay acceptance: after CAPS, pay UNN’s acceptance fee on the UNN portal. Blogs report it as ₦25,000, but I found no official 2026/2027 figure, so confirm the amount on the portal before you pay.
- Clearance: follow your faculty’s clearance instructions with your original documents. Nobody can “secure” a place for you on CAPS for money.
UNN’s homepage already carries 2026/2027 notices for its primary admission list, its Direct Entry list and lists for candidates with disabilities and foreign candidates, and Myschool reported on 25 October 2026 that the list is checkable on CAPS. JAMB also told public universities to conclude 2026 admissions by 31 October 2026. Our JAMB CAPS guide explains every status message you may see.
Studying Psychology at UNN
UNN’s Department of Psychology was set up in 1964, with guidance from Professor Carl Frost of the United States, and describes itself as the first degree-awarding psychology department in Nigeria. Its first graduates finished in 1967. Today it runs a four-year B.Sc. in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Nsukka.
A Nigerian B.Sc. in Psychology usually covers developmental, social, clinical, industrial and organisational, and experimental psychology, along with biological psychology, statistics and research methods, and a final-year project. The Biology requirement makes sense once you reach the courses on the brain and behaviour.
Graduates work in human resources and recruitment, counselling and mental health support, NGOs and social services, marketing and consumer research, prisons and rehabilitation, and teaching and research. To practise as a clinical psychologist you will need postgraduate training after the B.Sc.
Related UNN courses: UNN Sociology and Anthropology, UNN Social Work, UNN Guidance and Counselling and UNN Political Science.
Common mistakes Psychology applicants make
- No Biology in the UTME: UNN’s remark requires it.
- No Biology or Health Science credit: it is part of the O’level rule.
- F9 in Mathematics: you need at least a pass in Mathematics or Statistics.
- Choosing UNN second: UNN screens first-choice candidates only.
- Not checking CAPS: an offer you do not accept within four weeks can be lost.
UNN cut off mark for Psychology: frequently asked questions
Is 220 enough for Psychology in UNN? It clears the 160 screening minimum and UNN’s declared 200, and it is competitive with good O’level grades. For a safer position on merit, aim for 230 or more.
Is Biology compulsory for Psychology in UNN? According to UNN’s remark in the JAMB brochure, yes: you need Biology in the UTME and a credit in Biology or Health Science at O’level.
Can I study Psychology in UNN without Mathematics credit? Yes. UNN asks for at least a pass in Mathematics or Statistics, not a credit.
Can a nurse get Direct Entry into UNN Psychology? Yes. UNN lists Registered Nursing/Midwifery among the qualifications it accepts for Direct Entry, along with diplomas, NCE, ND, HND and degrees, provided you also meet the UTME subject requirements.
Sources and updates
The 160 minimum, screening dates, fees, eligibility rules and portal steps come from the UNN Registrar’s notice 2026/2027 Screening Exercise for Admission of 13 July 2026. The reported 200 comes from Vanguard’s 11 May 2026 report on the JAMB policy meeting (via AllAfrica), and the national 150 minimum, the 31 October admission deadline and the four-week CAPS acceptance window come from the News Agency of Nigeria. The 2025/2026 figure of 160 and the vacancy counts come from reprints of UNN’s October 2025 advert notice. The UNN Psychology UTME, O’level and Direct Entry remarks come from Myschool’s reprint of the JAMB brochure; JAMB’s IBASS brochure could not be opened, so confirm on your JAMB profile. Department history comes from the UNN Department of Psychology page on the Faculty of Social Sciences website (socialscs.unn.edu.ng). The 45/35/20 quota is national policy, not a UNN figure. The aggregate method is a blog method, and the ₦25,000 acceptance fee is an unofficial report. Checked on 29 October 2026.
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.
