How to Register for the NBT in 2026: Costs, Payment, Dates and Test Options

Registration is date-specific and site-specific. If you miss your booked session, or you want to write a second time, you must register again and pay again.

Sunday test sessions are marked separately in the official calendar, and the NBT calendar also identifies online sessions. Always confirm the final format and venue when you book because availability can change.

Many universities in South Africa use the NBTs to help interpret school-leaving results such as the National Senior Certificate. The tests do not replace your NSC results, but they help institutions decide on admission, academic support, and curriculum placement. Always check with the universities and faculties you are applying to so you know whether the NBT is required for your programme.

There are two NBT papers: Academic Literacy and Quantitative Literacy together as the AQL test, and Mathematics as the MAT test. The tests assess how well you can apply what you already know to university-style reading, reasoning, and problem-solving tasks. The papers are confidential, so there are no official past papers to study from.

Students with disabilities can be accommodated, and the Academic Literacy test has also been translated into Braille. If you need support, raise this early when planning your registration.

The faculty or department you are applying to decides which NBT paper or papers you must write, and by what deadline they need your scores. Some programmes need only AQL, while others require both AQL and MAT.

You should write the NBT before your university application closes so that your results can reach the institution in time. If you need both AQL and MAT, you must write them on the same day. You may be allowed to write a second time, but you should confirm with your faculty first that they will accept a second score.

A remote writer is someone who cannot reasonably reach a normal NBT test centre, for example because they are in another country or in an area too far from the nearest venue. If that applies to you, email nbtremote@uct.ac.za to ask about registering as a remote writer.

The full venue schedule is published on the NBT website at www.nbt.ac.za. If there is no suitable site near you and an online session is not practical, contact the NBT project by email at nbt@uct.ac.za or phone 021 650 3523 to ask about your options.

The simplest approach is to register early, pay as soon as possible, and keep your confirmation letter safe. That gives you the best chance of getting a date, venue, or online session that matches your university deadlines.