ABU Zaria Post UTME: Screening Format, Aggregate & How to Prepare
Ahmadu Bello University’s post-UTME for the 2026/2027 session is a computer-based test (CBT) sat physically at the Samaru campus in Zaria — there is no aggregate-only or document-only route. Only UTME candidates with 180 and above who put ABU as first choice can register. The CBT is combined with your UTME score using ABU’s own formula to produce the aggregate that decides admission. Screening runs 21 August to 9 September 2026, so if you’re reading this the week before, you’re on time.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Screening type | Computer-based test (CBT), sat physically at ABU’s Samaru campus, Zaria — no satellite centres |
| What it covers | English, Mathematics, General Paper, plus your registered JAMB subject combination |
| Aggregate formula | (JAMB score ÷ 8) + (Post-UTME score ÷ 2), out of 100 |
| Eligibility | UTME score 180 and above, ABU selected as first choice |
| Screening dates 2026/2027 | 21 August – 9 September 2026 |
| Registration opened | 6 July 2026 |
| Official portal | portal.abu.edu.ng/forms (login with your JAMB registration number and state of origin) |
| Screening fee | ₦2,000 (non-refundable; pay online or print the slip for payment at a bank) |
| Status | Confirmed as of August 2026 |
How the aggregate is calculated
ABU does not admit on UTME score alone. Your final aggregate, out of 100, is worked out as:
Aggregate = (JAMB score ÷ 8) + (Post-UTME score ÷ 2)
Notice the post-UTME half of the sum carries more weight per mark than the JAMB half, so a strong showing at screening can lift a middling UTME score, and a weak screening performance can undo a good UTME score. Worked example: a candidate with 240 in UTME and 80 in the post-UTME CBT gets 240 ÷ 8 = 30, plus 80 ÷ 2 = 40, giving an aggregate of 70. Departmental cut-off aggregates for 2026/2027 had not been published as of August 2026 — ABU typically releases these after screening closes, alongside admission lists, so don’t take any figure circulating online as official until it appears on the portal.
What the screening contains and how to prepare
The CBT draws questions from English Language, Mathematics, General Paper (current affairs, logical reasoning, comprehension) and the subjects in your JAMB combination for your course. Expect the format to feel close to your UTME — multiple choice, on-screen timer, no calculators for sections that don’t need them. Treat General Paper as the section most candidates under-prepare for: skim a few weeks of Nigerian and world current affairs, and practise timed comprehension passages so you’re not reading slowly under pressure on the day.
For English and Maths, go back to your UTME revision rather than starting fresh — the syllabus overlap is large. Sit a few timed mock rounds in the two weeks before your slot so the CBT interface and pacing feel familiar rather than new. Arrive at the Samaru campus early on your scheduled date; ABU screens in batches and being late can mean missing your slot entirely.
Admission requirements
Beyond the screening itself, ABU checks the standard JAMB/O’level conditions before an offer is confirmed: five O’level credits (WAEC, NECO or NABTEB), including English Language and Mathematics, obtained in at most two sittings, with the remaining credits matching your chosen course. Your JAMB subject combination must also match the course’s requirement — Medicine, Law and Engineering in particular have fixed combinations that ABU will not waive. Course-specific O’level and UTME subject combinations run to well over a hundred programmes, so rather than reproduce that whole table here, check your exact course against ABU’s admissions brochure on the official portal and cross-reference with JAMB’s IBASS before you register, so you’re not screened for a course you don’t yet qualify for.
Practise with real past questions
If you’d rather revise with material built around ABU’s actual screening pattern than generic practice sets, our ABU post-UTME past questions pack is built around this same English, Mathematics and General Paper format, with worked answers. The product page carries free sample questions you can try before deciding, and the full pack delivers as an instant PDF download once it goes live. For the wider process — registration, screening-day conduct, and what happens after results — our post-UTME guide covers it school by school.