It’s National Benchmark Test (NBT) season and all over the country students and their parents are looking for help to get through this crucial assessment of their university readiness.
The National Benchmark Tests Project (NBTP) was commissioned in 2005 by Higher Education South Africa (HESA), now called Universities South Africa (USAf).
The NBT is a set of tests to assess a learner’s academic readiness for university and are split into two 3-hour exams. One is called AQL (academic and quantitative literacy) and the other MAT (mathematics).
Universities use the results from the NBTs to determine if a learner will need extra support at university and they can also use the results to decide whether or not a learner’s university application is successful.
And that’s why it’s so important to be well prepared for the NBTs because it is your entry ticket to university.
This year, there are 25 opportunities to take the tests from mid-May to early January next year and the results will be used to measure a learner’s entry-level academic skills in literacy, quantitative literacy, and mathematics.
The NBTs are designed specifically to complement the National Senior Certificate as they provide an independent and objective assessment.
This requirement for higher education readiness is an added demand on parents and teachers, many of whom have limited resources.
But now, help is as close as your cellphone.
NBT Preparation experts, Advantage Learn, have launched an App that will give students access to necessary university resources and requirements to benchmark their readiness.
“The App gives learners a view into the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) requirements for their degree of choice and will also link to additional universities’ requirements via a downloadable PDF,” says Christopher Muller, chief technology officer at Advantage Learn.
Muller says learners will then be able to take a free MAT and AQL quiz and benchmark their readiness – letting them know if they are well-prepared or need more practice for their test.
“Through our App we are making available, to all students, resources that can better prepare them for their higher education demands, and ultimately, their careers one day,” says Muller.
In addition, there are links inside the app where learners can access more information about what the NBTs are and other info they might need.
Follow these easy steps to download the app and start using it:
* Open the app store on your IOS or Android phone;
* Search for the NBT Prep app by typing in the search bar at the top;
* Tap on the NBT Prep app;
* Tap install; and
* The app will download and automatically be added to your menu and your home screen.