Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, has confirmed that its Post-UTME and Direct Entry (DE) online screening for the 2026/2027 academic session will open on Monday, 13th July 2026, directly on the university’s own screening portal. As of this writing, the portal is not yet accepting registration; it opens on that confirmed date, so there is still time to prepare your documents and payment method correctly before the window begins.

About ATBU

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University is a federal university located in Bauchi State, known particularly for its strong programs in engineering, technology, and environmental sciences, as well as faculties in science, management sciences, medical sciences, and agriculture and agricultural technology. As a federal institution, admission runs through the standard JAMB UTME/Direct Entry process, followed by the university’s own Post-UTME screening exercise described in this guide.

Eligibility

• You must have chosen ATBU as your first-choice institution in the 2026 UTME.
• You must have scored at least 160 in the 2026 UTME to qualify for screening. This is ATBU’s own institutional threshold and is higher than JAMB’s general national benchmark, so meeting only the JAMB minimum does not automatically qualify you for ATBU screening.
• Direct Entry candidates must meet the requirements prescribed by both ATBU and JAMB, typically holding an A-Level, IJMB, NCE, or ND result relevant to their intended course.
• A minimum of five O’Level credits, including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in not more than two sittings (WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB).

About the Cut-Off Mark

It’s worth being precise about what “cut-off mark” means at this stage. The 160 UTME score is ATBU’s eligibility threshold to sit the screening exercise; it is not the final admission cut-off for any specific course. ATBU has not pre-published departmental or course-specific aggregate cut-off marks for 2026/2027; these are typically determined after the screening exercise, based on the combined performance of all candidates on both their UTME score and the screening exercise itself, and vary by how competitive each course is. Scoring 160 makes you eligible for screening; it does not, by itself, guarantee admission to a specific department, especially competitive ones like Medicine or Engineering.

Registration Timeline

• Online screening portal opens: Monday, 13th July 2026.
• Online registration window: expected to run roughly two weeks, closing around Monday, 27th July 2026. Confirm the exact closing date on the portal itself once it opens, since universities occasionally adjust these windows.
• Physical screening and document verification: expected to run from late July through 22nd August 2026 for candidates who complete online registration.

Important: How to Pay the Screening Fee Safely

This is the single most important detail to get right, and it’s stated directly and prominently on ATBU’s own screening portal: payment for the screening fee, admission, and acceptance letters must be initiated through screening.atbu.edu.ng, which then forwards you to pay.atbu.edu.ng. The university explicitly warns that direct payment on Remita’s site is not allowed. Several third-party guides describe the process as simply “pay ₦2,000 via Remita,” which can be misread as meaning you should go straight to a Remita page. Always start at the official ATBU portal and follow its own payment link through to completion.

• Screening fee: ₦2,000 (non-refundable).
• Always start your payment from screening.atbu.edu.ng, never from a Remita link shared elsewhere or from an unfamiliar site.
• Never share your JAMB number or portal login credentials with anyone offering to “help” you register or pay.

How to Register

1. Visit the official ATBU screening portal at screening.atbu.edu.ng. 

2. Log in using your JAMB registration number.

3. Follow the portal’s own payment link through to pay.atbu.edu.ng to generate your Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) and complete the ₦2,000 screening fee payment.

4. Fill in your GSM number, email address, and all other required bio-data fields accurately.

5. Upload the required documents, including your JAMB result slip and O’Level results; Direct Entry candidates should also upload their DE printout and qualifying certificate.

6. Submit the completed form and print your acknowledgment slip. You will need this, along with original copies of your credentials, at the physical screening.

If your O’Level result was awaiting when you registered for JAMB, make sure it has since been updated on your JAMB CAPS profile, since ATBU (and JAMB) will check this during processing.

Documents to Prepare

• 2026 UTME result slip, with a clear photograph.
• O’Level result(s) WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB already uploaded to your JAMB CAPS profile.
• Direct Entry printout and qualifying certificate (A-Level, IJMB, NCE, or ND), for DE candidates only.
• A valid means of identification.
• A recent passport photograph.
• Certificate of state of origin/Local Government identification, where required at physical screening.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ATBU Post-UTME/DE portal open right now?

It opens on Monday, 13th July 2026, according to the official screening portal. If you’re reading this before that date, registration has not yet begun.

Does a 160 UTME score guarantee admission?

No. It qualifies you to sit the screening exercise. Final admission depends on your combined UTME and screening performance, measured against the competitiveness of your chosen course, and is determined after screening closes.

Can I pay the screening fee directly on Remita’s website?

No ATBU’s own portal explicitly states that all payments must be initiated through screening.atbu.edu.ng, which leads to pay.atbu.edu.ng. Direct payment on Remita outside this path is not permitted.

What if I chose a different school as my first choice but want to attend ATBU?

Generally, only candidates who chose ATBU as their first choice on their UTME form are eligible for this screening cycle; changes to institution choice are handled through JAMB’s own change-of-institution process, subject to JAMB’s rules and timing.