The NBT, explained — and how to prepare
The National Benchmark Tests catch too many learners off guard. Here's what they are, how to book, and how to walk in ready — written for South African families.
How to book your NBT
Check if you need it
Some universities and programmes require the NBT (UCT Health Sciences and several others), some use it for placement, and some don't need it at all. Each application in Oriva shows whether an NBT is required.
Register online
Create an account at nbt.ac.za, choose AQL (Academic + Quantitative Literacy) or AQL + MAT depending on your programme, and pick a test date and venue (in-person or remote).
Pay & book early
Pay the booking fee to confirm your slot. Health Sciences applicants usually have an earlier writing deadline — book one of the first available sessions, they fill up.
Write & send results
Write the test, then make sure your results reach each university by their deadline. Oriva tracks the NBT step on every application so it never slips.
What the NBT tests
Academic Literacy
Can you read, interpret and reason with academic text? It tests understanding of arguments, vocabulary in context, and drawing conclusions — not your knowledge of any one subject.
- ✓Read editorials and longer articles, then summarise the main argument in one sentence.
- ✓Practise spotting the difference between a claim and the evidence for it.
- ✓Don't rush — read each passage carefully before looking at the questions.
Quantitative Literacy
Everyday maths reasoning: reading graphs and tables, percentages, ratios, rates and basic interpretation. It's not advanced maths — it's whether you can use numbers in real contexts.
- ✓Practise reading graphs, tables and infographics and pulling facts from them.
- ✓Get comfortable with percentages, ratios and simple rates without a calculator.
- ✓Translate word problems into a quick calculation before solving.
Mathematics
Written only by applicants to maths-intensive programmes (engineering, science, commerce, health sciences). It covers school-level algebra, functions, trigonometry and reasoning at a deeper level than QL.
- ✓Revise Grade 11–12 algebra, functions, trig and geometry.
- ✓Work through past NBT exemplar questions under timed conditions.
- ✓Show your reasoning — many questions reward method, not just the answer.
Good to know
- 📅 Test sessions run most weekends from May/June through to January.
- 💳 Booking fees apply per session (AQL, and AQL + MAT for maths-intensive programmes).
- ⏰ Health Sciences applicants almost always face an earlier NBT deadline — aim to write by mid-year.
Dates and fees change each cycle — always confirm on the official NBT site before booking.
Never miss an NBT deadline again
Oriva tracks every NBT booking window alongside your application deadlines — with reminders before each one. Start free.