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National Benchmark Tests
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UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE REQUIREMENT
National Benchmark Test South Africa Guide

Your Guide to the

National Benchmark Tests
Most South African universities ask for NBT results alongside your matric marks before they will consider your application. This page explains what the NBT is, when and where to write it, what happens on the day, and gives you free official practice questions to download.
Free Exemplar Papers
Register for the NBT
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Why the NBT Is Written

What Is the National Benchmark Test, Really?

The National Benchmark Test is a standardised assessment, run by the University of Cape Town on behalf of most South African universities, that measures whether you are ready for the academic literacy, quantitative reasoning and maths demands of first-year university study. Your matric (NSC) results show what you have mastered of the school curriculum. The NBT shows universities something different: whether you have the underlying academic skills to cope with degree-level work from day one. That is why most universities ask for both.
AQL
Academic and Quantitative Literacy
Compulsory for every university applicant. Combines two skill areas into one multiple choice test: Academic Literacy (reading comprehension and working out meaning in academic texts) and Quantitative Literacy (reading and reasoning with tables, graphs and everyday data).
Multiple choice
3 hours
Written by everyone
MAT
Mathematics
Required only if your intended degree needs Maths as a prerequisite: Commerce, Engineering and Science degrees, among others. Covers the real number system, algebra, functions, trigonometry and analytic geometry at a level that reflects first-year expectations.
Multiple choice
3 hours
Maths-track only
NBT Test Dates, Venues and Format

When, Where and How

When
Tests run from May through to the first Saturday in January each year, at physical venues and online. Book as early as you can. Writing late in the cycle gives no advantage, and some universities set application deadlines as early as June or July.
Where
Venues sit across all nine provinces: universities, high schools and private test centres in most major towns. Cannot reach a venue? Register as a Remote Writer and write from home instead.
How
Both tests are multiple choice, written in English or Afrikaans. AQL is a 3 hour morning session. MAT, if you need it, is written the same day, 3 hours in the afternoon. You cannot split them across two days.
Results
Allow about 4 weeks for processing after your test. You will get an SMS and email confirming your venue 2 days before, and results go straight through to the universities you applied to.
NBT Test Day Checklist

What to Expect on Test Day

01
Arrive by 7:30am
Check-in is date and site specific. Do not cut it close.
02
Bring your ID
Same name as on your registration, plus pencils and an eraser. That is it.
03
AQL, then MAT
3 hours in the morning, 3 more in the afternoon if you are writing MAT too.
04
No bathroom breaks
Not permitted during a session. Eat and hydrate beforehand.
05
Sleep and plan ahead
Firm up your travel the night before and get a proper night sleep.
NBT Exemplar Questions Download

Download the Official Practice Questions

UCT does not release full past exam papers for the NBT. The tests stay confidential and are reused. What they do publish, officially and for free, are exemplar question booklets showing the exact style and difficulty of each test. These two are the real, current preparation material to use.
NBT Exemplar Questions
Both official booklets from nbt.ac.za — view or download each one below.
More Free Practice
OLICO Maths Education — free extra NBT Maths practice from an external provider. Not part of the official nbt.ac.za set above.
Visit olico.org
Both booklets are hosted directly on the official National Benchmark Test Project site (nbt.ac.za). These links open the real, current PDFs rather than a copy, so you always get the latest version.
Ready to register for the NBT?
Registration happens online at nbtests.uct.ac.za, using your ID or passport number. There is a small fee per test session, and NSFAS-qualifying learners write for free. Fees are set and updated by UCT, so confirm the current amount when you register rather than relying on any figure you have seen elsewhere.
Pay via EasyPay after registering
Free for NSFAS-qualifying learners
You can write up to twice per cycle
Register on nbtests.uct.ac.za
National Benchmark Test FAQ

Common Questions, Answered Straight

The questions we hear most from students and parents about the NBT, answered the way we would answer them in a message.
QUESTION
Do I have to write the NBT?
FINE PATH
If you are applying to most South African universities, yes. AQL is required for every applicant, and MAT is added if your degree needs Maths. Check the exact requirement on your chosen university admissions page, since policies differ.
QUESTION
Which grade should I write it in?
FINE PATH
Most learners write in Grade 12, timed to meet their university application deadlines, some of which fall as early as June or July. Writing earlier does not give you an advantage, but writing too late can mean your results arrive after a deadline has passed.
QUESTION
Can I rewrite the NBT if I am not happy with my score?
FINE PATH
Yes, up to twice per intake cycle, but you pay the full fee again each time. If you rewrite MAT, you must also rewrite AQL that same day. Not every university accepts a second attempt, so confirm with your target university first.
QUESTION
Is there an official past paper I can practise with?
FINE PATH
Not exactly. UCT keeps the actual test papers confidential and reuses questions. The AQL and MAT exemplar booklets above are the official substitute: real questions in the same style and difficulty, published for free practice.

Preparing for the NBT and your NSC at the same time is a lot to juggle.

Fine Path Grade 11 and 12 tutors build the same academic literacy, quantitative reasoning and maths skills the NBT tests, while keeping your matric marks on track too.
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