JAMB Subject Combination for All Courses 2026/2027 UTME Guide

6 September 2026

The JAMB subject combination for 2026/2027 is one of the most important things to confirm before registering for the UTME. Your four UTME subjects must match the requirements for the course and institution you intend to apply to.

Choosing the wrong subjects can affect your eligibility even if you eventually achieve a high JAMB score. JAMB’s official IBASS Eligibility Checker allows candidates to select their institution, programme and UTME subjects to confirm eligibility before registration.

This guide brings together the major JAMB subject combinations for Science, Engineering, Health, Arts, Social Science, Commercial, Education and related courses for the 2026/2027 admission session, while removing outdated information from older lists. The combinations below should still be checked against your chosen institution through IBASS before finalising registration.

How JAMB Subject Combination Works

For UTME, candidates select four subjects, with Use of English/English Language selected as a required subject for programmes. JAMB's IBASS system is designed to identify the required and alternative subjects for each programme.

The other subjects depend on your intended course.

For example:

Medicine and Surgery: English, Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Engineering: English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry
Law: English, Literature in English and other approved Arts/Social Science subjects
Accounting: English, Mathematics, Economics and another relevant subject
Computer Science: English, Mathematics, Physics and another approved subject

The important point is that you should not choose subjects simply because they are your favourite subjects. Your combination must correspond with the programme and institution you are applying to.

JAMB Subject Combination for Science Courses

Medicine and Surgery

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Dentistry

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Veterinary Medicine

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Nursing Science

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Physiotherapy

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Medical Laboratory Science

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Radiography

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Pharmacy

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Human Anatomy

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

Human Physiology

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics

The supplied 2026/2027 course lists consistently place Biology, Chemistry and Physics alongside English for the major medical and health programmes listed above.

Biochemistry

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Microbiology

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Botany

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Another approved Science subject

Zoology

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Chemistry

English Language
Chemistry
Physics
Biology or Mathematics

Physics

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or another approved subject

Mathematics

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
One other approved subject

Statistics

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry, Biology, Economics or another approved subject

Geology

English Language
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics, Biology or Geography

Geography

English Language
Geography
Mathematics
One other relevant Science subject

JAMB Subject Combination for Engineering Courses

For many core engineering programmes, the combination follows the same pattern: English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

Civil Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Mechanical Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Electrical/Electronic Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Computer Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Chemical Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Petroleum Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Marine Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Systems Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Structural Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Production and Industrial Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Agricultural Engineering

The supplied sources list:

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or another approved subject

The 2026 list also includes Biomedical, Aerospace, Mining and other engineering programmes, but candidates should confirm the exact alternative subject allowed by their institution before registration.

JAMB Subject Combination for Computer and Technology Courses

Computer Science

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry, Biology or another approved subject

Software Engineering

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Information Technology

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or Biology

Cyber Security

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Data Science

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or Statistics

Because requirements can differ between institutions, candidates should verify the specific programme and school through the JAMB eligibility system rather than relying solely on a general internet list.

JAMB Subject Combination for Agriculture Courses

Agriculture

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Physics or Mathematics

Agricultural Economics

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Mathematics

Agricultural Extension

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Mathematics or Physics

Agronomy

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Physics or Mathematics

Animal Science

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Physics or Mathematics

Crop Science

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Mathematics or Physics

Soil Science

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Mathematics or Physics

Fisheries

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Another relevant Science subject

Forestry

English Language
Chemistry
Biology or Agricultural Science
Physics or Mathematics

These agriculture-related combinations are reflected across the supplied 2026/2027 lists.

JAMB Subject Combination for Architecture and Environmental Courses

Architecture

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry, Geography, Fine Art or another approved subject

Quantity Surveying

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or another approved subject

Building Technology

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or another approved subject

Surveying and Geoinformatics

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry, Geography or another approved subject

Urban and Regional Planning

English Language
Mathematics
Geography
Economics, Physics or Chemistry

Estate Management

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Another relevant subject

JAMB Subject Combination for Arts Courses

Law

English Language
Literature in English
Government or another approved subject
One other relevant Arts/Social Science subject

Older lists often give different combinations for Law, but Literature in English is particularly important for many institutions. Candidates should therefore confirm the exact requirement for their preferred university through IBASS before registration. The supplied sources also identify Literature in English as a key Law subject.

English and Literary Studies

English Language
Literature in English
Government, CRS/IRS or another relevant subject
One other approved Arts subject

Linguistics

English Language
Literature in English or another relevant Arts subject
One other Arts subject
Another approved subject

Theatre Arts

English Language
Literature in English
CRS/IRS, Fine Art or another relevant subject
One other Arts subject

Music

English Language
Music or Literature in English
CRS/IRS or another relevant Arts subject
One other approved subject

Fine and Applied Arts

English Language
Fine Art
Literature in English or another relevant Arts subject
One other approved subject

Philosophy

English Language
Literature in English or another relevant Arts subject
CRS/IRS, Government or History
One other approved subject

History and International Studies

English Language
History or Government
Literature in English or another relevant subject
CRS/IRS or another Arts subject

International Relations

English Language
Literature in English
Government, Geography or History
Another approved subject

Christian Religious Studies

English Language
CRS
Literature in English
Another relevant Arts subject

Islamic Studies

English Language
Islamic Religious Studies
Literature in English or Arabic
Another relevant Arts subject

Arabic Studies

English Language
Arabic
Islamic Studies or Literature in English
Another approved Arts subject

JAMB Subject Combination for Social Science and Commercial Courses

Accounting

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Government, Commerce or another relevant Social Science subject

Economics

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Government, Geography, History, Literature in English, French or CRS/IRS

Business Administration

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Government, Commerce or another relevant subject

Banking and Finance

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Commerce, Government or another approved subject

Insurance

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
One other relevant subject

Marketing

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
One other relevant Social Science subject

Public Administration

English Language
Government
Economics
One other relevant subject

Political Science

English Language
Government or History
Two other approved Arts or Social Science subjects

Sociology

English Language
Three relevant Social Science or Arts subjects

Social Work

English Language
Mathematics
Economics or Geography
One other relevant subject

Criminology and Security Studies

English Language
Economics
Government
History, Literature in English, French, IRK, Hausa or another approved subject

Geography

English Language
Geography
Two relevant Arts or Social Science subjects

Library and Information Science

English Language
Three relevant Arts or Social Science subjects

The supplied 2026/2027 material groups Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Political Science, Sociology, Social Work, International Relations and related programmes under Social Science/Commercial combinations.

JAMB Subject Combination for Education Courses

Education programmes generally combine the subjects connected to the candidate's area of specialisation.

Examples include:

Education and Biology

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Education and Chemistry

English Language
Chemistry
Biology
Mathematics or Physics

Education and Physics

English Language
Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry

Education and Mathematics

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or Biology

Education and Economics

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Government

Education and English

English Language
Literature in English
Government, CRS/IRS or History

Education and Political Science

English Language
Government
Economics
CRS/IRS or History

Education and History

English Language
History
Government
Literature in English or CRS

The exact combination can depend on the institution and the teaching subject attached to the education programme.

JAMB Subject Combination for Health Science Courses

Some additional health-related programmes include:

Public Health

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Nutrition and Dietetics

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Mathematics or Physics

Community Health

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Environmental Health

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Occupational Therapy

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

Speech and Language Therapy

English Language
Biology
Chemistry
Physics or Mathematics

JAMB Subject Combination for Polytechnic Courses

Candidates applying for ND programmes should also check the requirements attached to their specific polytechnic and programme.

Common examples include:

ND Accountancy

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Commerce or Government

ND Business Administration

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Commerce or Government

ND Computer Science

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry or Biology

ND Electrical Engineering Technology

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

ND Mechanical Engineering Technology

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

ND Civil Engineering Technology

English Language
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

ND Mass Communication

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Government or Literature in English

ND Banking and Finance

English Language
Mathematics
Economics
Commerce

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing JAMB Subjects

1. Choosing subjects based on what you like

Your preferred subjects must first satisfy the requirements of your course. Do not select a combination simply because you are more comfortable with those subjects.

2. Assuming every university uses exactly the same combination

This is one of the biggest mistakes candidates make. JAMB provides programme requirements, but candidates should also check the specific institution's requirements before completing registration.

3. Using an outdated subject combination

Older articles can contain requirements from previous admission sessions. Some of the supplied materials, for example, contain references to 2022/2023 and 2024/2025, so those outdated sections should not be treated as current 2026/2027 guidance.

4. Ignoring O'Level requirements

Your UTME combination is only one part of admission eligibility. JAMB's 2026 admission materials also specify O'Level requirements, while Direct Entry candidates have additional qualification requirements.

5. Relying on friends or registration agents

Do not allow another person to randomly choose your UTME subjects for you. Know your intended course and verify its requirements before registration.

How to Confirm Your Exact JAMB Subject Combination

Because subject requirements can vary by course and institution, the safest method is to check the official JAMB IBASS Eligibility Checker before registering.

JAMB IBASS Eligibility Checker

The checker allows you to select your entry mode, institution type, institution, programme and O'Level subjects, then review the applicable UTME subject combination.

JAMB itself advises candidates to use IBASS to determine the correct combination for their chosen programme.

Quick JAMB Subject Combination Guide

Course	Main Subjects
Medicine	English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Nursing	English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Pharmacy	English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Engineering	English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
Computer Science	English, Mathematics, Physics + approved subject
Accounting	English, Mathematics, Economics + relevant subject
Economics	English, Mathematics, Economics + relevant subject
Business Administration	English, Mathematics, Economics + relevant subject
Law	English, Literature + approved Arts/Social Science subjects
Political Science	English, Government/History + relevant subjects
Sociology	English + relevant Social Science/Arts subjects
Agriculture	English + Chemistry, Biology/Agric Science + Physics/Mathematics
Architecture	English, Mathematics, Physics + approved fourth subject
Education	English + subjects related to area of specialisation

Do not register your UTME subjects based on an old article, social media post or what another candidate is writing.

The materials reviewed for this guide contain lists from different admission years, including older 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 information, alongside 2026/2027 lists. For that reason, outdated registration dates and old requirements have been removed rather than carried into this updated guide.

Before submitting your JAMB registration, confirm your course, institution, O'Level subjects and UTME combination through the official IBASS system. JAMB maintains IBASS specifically for programme eligibility and subject-combination checks. One wrong subject can create an avoidable admission problem, so verify first and register correctly.