Getting into a Nigerian university can feel like navigating Lagos traffic on a Monday morning — confusing, crowded, and full of unexpected roadblocks.
One of the biggest confusion points for JAMB candidates is subject combinations. Pick the wrong subjects and JAMB may reject your form outright. Pick the right ones and you unlock your dream course.
What Is a Subject Combination?
JAMB requires you to register 4 subjects per sitting. One of them is always Use of English (mandatory). The other three depend on the course you want to study.
Getting your combination wrong means:
- Your score won't count for your chosen course
- Your university of choice may reject your application even with a high score
Common Subject Combinations by Course
Medicine and Surgery
- Use of English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Law
- Use of English, Literature in English, Government, CRS/IRS or Economics
Engineering (all types)
- Use of English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
Accounting / Business Administration
- Use of English, Mathematics, Economics, Commerce or Government
Computer Science
- Use of English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Economics
Mass Communication
- Use of English, Literature, Government, Economics or CRS
Education (Science)
- Use of English, Biology/Physics/Chemistry, Mathematics, one other science
Nursing / Pharmacy
- Use of English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
2025 JAMB Cutoff Marks
These are the minimum scores universities typically require — but individual schools often set higher thresholds:
| University Type | General Cutoff | |----------------|----------------| | Federal Universities | 140–160 | | State Universities | 120–140 | | Private Universities | 100–120 | | Polytechnics | 100 |
Popular schools like UNILAG, UI, and OAU regularly set their own cutoffs above 200 for competitive courses like Medicine, Law, and Engineering.
High-Competition Courses (Score 220+)
If you're targeting any of these, aim for 220 and above:
- Medicine & Surgery
- Law
- Pharmacy
- Petroleum Engineering
- Mass Communication (UNILAG)
How to Check the Official Combination for Your Course
- Visit jamb.gov.ng BROCHURE section
- Search for your course
- Confirm the listed subjects match what you're registering
Don't guess. One wrong subject = wasted registration fee and a year lost.
Final Advice
Register early, confirm your combination from the official JAMB brochure, and start practising past questions immediately. The students who score 250+ aren't smarter — they're more prepared.
Practice 20 questions per subject daily. In 6 weeks, you'll have covered over 3,000 past questions.
Get our JAMB Past Questions Pack (2015–2024) to start practising today →