NBT exam-day guide
NBT · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Official photo ID
Bring the original ID document the NBT project requires - a South African ID book/card or a valid passport for international candidates. A photocopy or a photo on your phone is usually not accepted. Confirm the exact ID type accepted for your session with the NBT project or your test venue before you travel.
Test admission/confirmation details
Print or save offline the confirmation email or admission letter showing your name, test date, session time, and venue. You may be asked to present it at registration; if your session does not issue one, confirm with the provider what proof of registration to bring.
Two or three black or blue pens and a pencil
The tests are multiple choice and answers are marked on a separate answer sheet, so bring spare pens and at least one pencil plus an eraser and sharpener. Pack more than you think you need.
No calculator unless confirmed
The Mathematics (MAT) test is designed to be written without a calculator. Do not bring one unless the provider has explicitly told you otherwise for your session format - check with the NBT project in advance so you are not caught out.
A basic wristwatch
Many venues have limited visible clocks and phones must be off. A simple analogue or digital watch (not a smartwatch) lets you pace yourself across the sections. If you rely on the invigilator's time announcements instead, note that these may be infrequent.
Phone switched off and stowed
Bring your phone for transport and emergencies, but expect to switch it off and place it in your bag or in a designated area during the test. Do not keep it in a pocket or on the desk.
Water and a snack for after the session
Sessions can run several hours with a short break between the AQL and MAT tests. Bring water and something to eat for the break, and check whether food and drink are allowed at the desk itself.
Layer clothing and any personal medication
Test venues can be cold or warm and you will be seated for long periods. Dress in layers and bring any prescribed medication you may need, telling the invigilator if you must keep it with you.
Confirmed venue, route and travel plan
Check the venue address the day before, plan your route, and know how long the trip takes at that time of day. Aim to arrive well before the reporting time; late arrivals may not be admitted once the test has started. Confirm the reporting time and late-arrival policy with the provider.
A good night's sleep and a proper breakfast
These are long, timed, reasoning-heavy papers. Being rested and fed will do more for your score than last-minute cramming, which tends to raise anxiety rather than performance.
Realistic expectations about content
The AQL test covers academic literacy and quantitative literacy; the MAT test covers school mathematics to a level assumed for university entry. You cannot bring notes or a formula sheet, so revise the basics in the final days rather than trying to learn new topics.
Plan the day
Confirm the logistics: exact venue, reporting time, ID requirement, and whether a calculator or any other item is permitted. Re-read the provider's instructions for candidates and resolve any ambiguity by contacting the NBT project directly.
Do one timed practice run under exam conditions - no calculator, no notes, no phone - so you know how long you take per question and where you run out of time.
Revise only what you already know: mental arithmetic, ratio and percentage work, graph and table reading, and the structure of a short argument. Do not start new topics.
Pack your bag: ID, confirmation details, pens, pencil, eraser, sharpener, watch, water, snack, layers, medication. Lay it by the door. Check your transport plan and set two alarms.
Stop studying early. Eat a normal meal, avoid heavy screens and alcohol, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Confirm your alarm and your lift or transport one last time.
Eat breakfast, drink water, and leave with generous margin - aim to be at the venue earlier than the reporting time so that queues, traffic, or a wrong building do not derail you.
Find registration, have your ID and confirmation ready, switch your phone off, and locate the toilets and the break area before you are seated. Listen carefully to the invigilator's instructions.
Work in passes: answer the questions you find straightforward first, mark uncertain ones, and return to them. Never leave a bubble blank if there is no penalty for guessing - but confirm the guessing policy with the provider beforehand.
Use the break to eat, drink, and move a little. Do not dissect the paper you have just written with other candidates - it will not change your answers and it will unsettle you for the next test.
Do the calculation-light questions first to bank marks, keep an eye on the clock, and check that your answer numbers line up with the question numbers on the answer sheet before time is called.
Note roughly when results are expected and how to access them, then let it go. Your NBT results are only one input to university admission alongside your school results.
Rules to check
Bring the original identity document specified by the provider. If you arrive without acceptable ID you may be refused entry, and the provider's policy on alternatives is the one that applies - confirm it in advance rather than on the day.
Arrive before the reporting time. Invigilators generally cannot admit candidates once the test has begun, and no extra time is given for late arrival or for interruptions you cause yourself.
Phones, smartwatches, and any other electronic device must be switched off and out of reach for the whole session. Possession of a device at the desk is typically treated as misconduct, which can lead to your results being withheld.
Do not communicate with other candidates once the test has started - no talking, no sharing of materials, no looking at another answer sheet. Raise your hand and wait for an invigilator if you need anything.
Follow the invigilator's instructions on breaks, toilet visits, and leaving the room. If you leave the room without permission, you may not be readmitted. Confirm the break arrangements for your session with the provider.
Mark answers only on the official answer sheet, using the method the invigilator specifies. Answers written in the question booklet or in the wrong format may not be marked. If you need to change an answer, erase or cross out clearly - ask about correction procedures before you begin.
Understand how the tests are scored before you sit them: the AQL and MAT tests are reported separately against benchmark levels rather than as a single pass/fail mark, and universities set their own requirements. The exact benchmark categories and the validity period of your results should be confirmed with the NBT project.
If illness, a family emergency, or another serious problem affects your performance or attendance, tell the invigilator at the time and contact the provider promptly afterwards. Special-consideration or re-write arrangements exist in some cases, but the deadlines and conditions are set by the provider - confirm them yourself.