What the NBT Test Is and How to Prepare
By Muntasir • Published Sep 18, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Africa Admissions & Exams
The National Benchmark Test (NBT) measures academic literacy, quantitative literacy, and mathematics ability separately from your matric marks, and several South African universities require it for admission or programme placement.
🎓 Two tests: AQL (Academic and Quantitative Literacy) and MAT (Mathematics)
Multiple choice format, written on a computer or on paper at a test centre
UCT requires it from every undergraduate applicant. Others require it per faculty
⏱️ Register and pay online through the NBT website months before your intended test date
What the NBT measures
The National Benchmark Tests project runs standardised tests that universities use alongside your NSC results to judge how ready you are for degree-level study. The tests do not follow the school curriculum. They measure academic literacy (how well you read and reason with academic text), quantitative literacy (how you work with numbers and data in everyday and academic contexts), and mathematics (formal maths content needed for maths-heavy degrees).
Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy are combined into a single test called AQL. Mathematics is a separate test called MAT. Depending on your intended degree, a university may ask you to write AQL only, MAT only, or both.
Which universities require it
NBT requirements differ by university and even by faculty within the same university, so check your specific programme's admission page.
| University | Typical requirement |
|---|---|
| University of Cape Town | Compulsory for all undergraduate applicants. Health Sciences applicants must write it regardless of where they live |
| Wits University | Compulsory for Faculty of Science applicants, both AQL and MAT |
| Stellenbosch University | Required for specific programmes, including Law degrees and School of Tomorrow applicants |
| Central University of Technology | Required for selected qualifications. Check the specific programme page |
Many universities use your NBT result for placement rather than pure admission, deciding whether you join a standard degree track or an extended programme with extra academic support in your first year.
How to register and what to expect
You register and pay for the NBT online through the National Benchmark Tests website. Test centres run sessions throughout the year at schools and university venues in most provinces, and some universities offer an on-campus computer-based sitting. Bring your ID document and admission letter on test day. The test is multiple choice, and you receive your results directly, with universities also receiving your score if you listed them during registration.
How to prepare
The NBT tests reasoning ability rather than memorised content, so cramming subject facts will not help much. Practise reading dense academic passages and answering questions about the author's argument, since this reflects the Academic Literacy component. Work through numeracy problems involving ratios, percentages, graphs, and tables for Quantitative Literacy. If you are writing MAT, revise core NSC Mathematics topics such as algebra, functions, and geometry, since MAT questions sit closer to standard maths content than the AQL sections do. Free past papers and example questions are available on the NBT website, and working through them under timed conditions gives the most realistic sense of the pace you need on test day.