When should I write NBTs?

You should write the NBTs when you feel ready. However, you must also meet the closing dates and deadlines for the institutions where you are applying. Remember also that you must allow time for your NBTs to be processed, scored and the results sent to institutions.  The dates on which results are available are shown in the test schedule.

Different institutional and faculty requirements determine the deadlines for learners to submit NBT results, which may be as early as June or July.

The time of writing should not be a cause for concern; available data suggests that learners writing the test late in the year have no advantage over those writing in earlier sessions.

However, learners who have not completed the curriculum, or who feel that they may benefit from further revision, may choose to write the tests later in the cycle, but must still meet posted institutional deadlines.
Click here to view the test schedule.

Do I write both tests on the same day?

Yes. The NBT Project does not allow a learner to write the AQL on one day and the MAT on another. If you wish to write a second time, you still must write the AQL in the morning and the MAT in the afternoon.

What if I can’t write on a Saturday?

As shown on the NBT test schedule, there are writing sessions scheduled on Fridays and Sundays.

What if I miss my scheduled test?

Registration for the NBT is specific to the date and the site you selected.  If you miss your scheduled date, or change your mind about the test session, you must register and pay again.

Should there be an emergency, you must send an e-mail to nbt@uct.ac.za as soon as possible. NBT Project staff will contact you the following week to explore your options for a make-up test.

With documentation of a legitimate emergency, you may not be required to pay a second time.

Legitimate situations that have occurred in the past include taxi accident on the way to the test site, hospitalization, broken collar bone, and family funeral.

What time do I have to be at the test centre?

Check-in at all sites in South Africa begins at 07:30. Door closes at 8:30, after which no one is allowed inside the test rooms. The AQL test is written in the morning and the MAT test is written in the afternoon.

No learner is allowed to come mid-day to write just the MAT test. If you are writing the MAT test, you must write it the same day as you write the AQL test.

What if I am applying to two institutions with different applications deadlines?

If you are applying to more than one institution or faculty then you need to register and write the NBTs to meet the earliest deadline, even if you are also applying to a university that will write the test during registration.

You need only write the tests once, even when applying to more than one institution. All institutions to which you apply will be able to access your NBT results.

Are there any special requirements if I am applying to Health Sciences?

All applicants to programmes in the Health Science Faculties must write both the AQL test and the MAT test. Each institution sets its own deadlines to submit results and some deadlines are in June and July.

You must check with the faculties to which you are applying to ensure that your NBT results are received by the deadline.

Health Science Faculties work with the NBT Project to ensure that sufficient writing sessions and seats are available that meet deadlines at all institutions.