Where do you even start practising for the NBTs? Between juggling Grade 12 work, university deadlines, and everything else, the NBTs can feel like an afterthought, even though they are extremely important. The real challenge is not cramming content, but building calm, repeatable habits that align with what the tests actually measure.
Keep your eye on the format, focus on the core skills and use your own results to target the next session. The aim is to achieve steady progress, minimise surprises on the day, and establish a clear link between what you practise and what is assessed — ultimately so you can achieve the best NBT marks possible.
What is the National Benchmark Test?
Where do you even start practising for the NBTs? Between juggling Grade 12 work, university deadlines, and everything else, the NBTs can feel like an afterthought, even though they are extremely important. The real challenge is not cramming content, but building calm, repeatable habits that align with what the tests actually measure.
Keep your eye on the format, focus on the core skills and use your own results to target the next session. The aim is to achieve steady progress, minimise surprises on the day, and establish a clear link between what you practise and what is assessed — ultimately so you can achieve the best NBT marks possible.
NBTs vs School Exams
There are key differences between the NBTs and school exams. The NBTs measure academic readiness for first-year study, supporting admissions and placement decisions.
Your Grade 12 results certify completion of the Grade 12 subjects and determine your eligibility for university entrance. While NBTs are important, you can often still gain university placement without them.
NBT sessions typically place the AQL in a three-hour morning session and the MAT in a three-hour afternoon session. Regular NBT sessions are available at designated venues. NSC exams are scheduled annually from October to December according to a national timetable.
For NBTs, you may retake the test, but you must retake both on the same day. For school exams, there is no immediate retakes.
While some of the tips for your matric exams do apply to the NBTs, and the core concepts are similar, the difference is in how they are structured and their purpose.
Core Skills for AQL NBTs
The AQL tests both academic literacy and quantitative literacy. Although these are not split into two separate tests, but rather different sections, you will need to utilise different core skills for each.
Academic Literacy
Think of the AL section as how well you read, unpack and respond to academic texts. You will pick out the main idea, see how paragraphs build an argument, and read between the lines.
It also includes describing the aim of the text and what the writer wants to achieve. You may need to interpret small graphs or diagrams that appear in the passage, make sense of numbers tucked into sentences, and recognise tone, register and figurative language.
Quantitative Literacy
The QL section is everyday maths in real situations. It will test your ability to handle fractions, percentages, ratios, and exponents, as well as switch between fraction, decimal, and percentage forms.
You will read tables, charts and scale diagrams, compare quantities, and decide if a claim is reasonable. Expect some basic geometry, including length, area, and volume, as well as simple algebra, patterns, and rates of change read from a graph. The focus is on clear reasoning based on the information provided.
Core Skills for MAT
The MAT NBT expects solid algebra and modelling skills. You will have to recognise patterns, work confidently with ratios, percentages, exponents, logarithms and surds, and simplify expressions cleanly.
It also tests linking equations to real situations, including basic financial contexts, and connecting equations to their graphs by understanding domain, range and common transformations such as shifts and reflections.
In terms of applicable matric maths, you’ll use functions, trigonometry and geometry in practical ways. Be ready to read and compare graphs, use trig identities, and apply the sine and cosine rules. You will work with properties of two and three-dimensional shapes, use scale and other transformations, calculate perimeter, area and volume, and connect algebra to geometry through coordinate work.
Data handling and logical reasoning round out the paper. You will interpret measurements, tables and common charts to make sound inferences, and use clear logic to test statements and draw conclusions. Questions are drawn across four cognitive levels, ranging from recall and routine procedures to complex procedures and full problem-solving, requiring both fluency and insight.
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Tackling the NBT Exam
This is where your routine does the heavy lifting. Treat test day as a run-through of what you’ve already practised, arrive early, settle your nerves, and set a steady pace from question one.
Time Management
Aim to keep a steady rhythm, banking straightforward marks on a first pass, then returning to tougher items. Budget the final 10 to 15 minutes to check flagged questions and tidy any guesses. If a question is holding up your progress, choose the best option you can justify, mark it, move on, and then revisit it later.
Common Mistakes for NBTs
- Leaving registration too late: Universities set their own NBT requirements and result deadlines. Register early and plan backwards from your earliest faculty deadline.
- Booking the wrong test or date: Which tests you must write depends on the programme. Do not assume MAT is optional for a maths-heavy course, and do not plan to split the two papers across different days.
- Arriving without the right items: You must have your official ID, sharpened pencils and an eraser. Phones, smartwatches, calculators, and notes are not allowed in the room. Pack water and lunch if you plan to attend both sessions.
- Practising with a calculator: Calculators are not permitted; MAT questions are set so that a calculator is not needed. Build fluency with estimation, neat algebra and mental arithmetic in your revision.
- Leaving answers blank: The NBT uses multiple choice, and there is no negative marking, nor are there any marks for working. Always attempt every question.
- Forgetting session start times online: Online sittings typically start at 9:00 a.m. for AQL and 2:00 p.m. for MAT. Build your routine around those windows to avoid rushed logins.
- Relying on unofficial past papers: The project does not release past papers. Use the official exemplar questions to match the test style, rather than “look-alike” materials.
- Overlooking language and accessibility options: The NBT is available in English and Afrikaans, and approved accessibility measures are in place. Select the correct language at registration and request support promptly.
Read More: Boost Confidence in Your Child
Diagnose Your NBT Practice Results
Results are sent to universities approximately three weeks after your test date and appear in your NBT account about four weeks later, at 12:00 on the scheduled date. You do not need to send scores yourself, as institutions request them directly.
Make sure your ID number matches on both your university application and NBT registration; otherwise, your chosen universities may not receive your results. If there is an outstanding balance on your NBT account, you will not be able to access your results until you settle the balance.
The NBTs categorise their scoring into three levels: proficient, intermediate, and basic. Your NBT results are valid for three years from the year you wrote. If you believe there has been an error, you can request a re-mark within 30 days of receiving your results for a set fee. The process typically takes between four to six weeks.
Key Takeaway
Practise what you will actually face, whether that is the timed AQL or the calculator-free MAT or both. Keep deadlines in mind, book a suitable date, and use only the official exemplar questions for practising.
Read More: How to make a study plan
Conclusion
Preparing for the NBTs is less about cramming and more about consistent, targeted practice. Register early and plan from your earliest deadline. Build a weekly routine that mirrors the real test. Keep practising, use the official exemplar questions and keep the test day simple.
If you’re unsure about certain sections and need a bit more practice for your NBTs, iRainbow offers a comprehensive learning tool to tackle essential subjects like English and Maths, although not directly NBT aligned, excelling in English and Maths will carry over to your NBTs. Chat to us about your goals and we’ll recommend a path for you.
