Individuals planning to study further at a tertiary education institution will need to write a National Benchmark Test to complete their application and be accepted. The NBT test dates for 2023 are now available.
The National Benchmark Tests (NBT) are used to determine how academically ready you are for university. Two tests are offered, the AQL and the MAT test. AQL stands for Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy, while MAT is an abbreviation for Mathematics.
The AQL test is presented as a multiple-choice test with each section timed for a total of three hours of writing time. The AQL test is written by applicants of all programs.
The second test is Mathematics (MAT), which tests the student’s level of competence in mathematics. This test is written by those who have applied to study courses that require a pass in Mathematics. It is also a multiple-choice test that is timed to be written in three hours.
NBT Test Dates For 2023
- 13 May (Online)
- 20 May
- 3 June
- 10 June
- 11 June (Sunday Session)
- 24 June (Online)
- 1 July
- 2 July (Sunday Session)
- 8 July
- 15 July
- 16 July (Sunday Session)
- 22 July (Online)
- 29 July
- 12 August
- 13 August (Sunday Session)
- 19 August
- 26 August (Online)
- 9 September
- 16 September
- 30 September
- 7 October (Online)
- 14 October
- 25 November
- 2 December
- 6 Jan
Students who want to write the AQL test only will be required to pay a fee of R145, and those who want to write both the AQL and MAT will need to pay R290, while rewrites will be charged R250.
All students applying for undergraduate studies at South African universities are required to take the NBT. The test scores are used by universities to determine whether a student requires additional support to succeed in their chosen qualification.
Students have been advised to view the FAQ sections for information and answers to commonly asked questions.
