Practice Test Geeks(NBT) National Benchmark Test Practice Test
← All NBT Flashcard Decks

NBT Academic and Quantitative Literacy Flashcards

7 cards from real NBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 NBT Academic and Quantitative Literacy flashcards as text

  1. Read the following passage and answer the question: 'Load shedding, South Africa's system of planned power outages implemented by Eskom, has had a profound impact on the economy. Small businesses, which form the backbone of local economies, are disproportionately affected. Unlike large corporations, they often cannot afford generators or alternative energy solutions. A study found that small businesses lose an average of R500 per hour of load shedding.' According to the passage, why are small businesses more affected by load shedding than large corporations?

    Answer: Small businesses often cannot afford alternative energy solutions

    The passage explicitly states that small businesses 'often cannot afford generators or alternative energy solutions,' unlike large corporations — this is the stated reason for the disparity.

  2. Based on the load shedding passage, if a small business experiences Stage 4 load shedding (8 hours of outages per day) for 20 working days in a month, what is the estimated monthly loss?

    Answer: R80 000

    Daily loss = 8 hours × R500 = R4 000. Monthly loss = R4 000 × 20 days = R80 000.

  3. A researcher surveys 1 200 South Africans about their primary source of news. The results are: - Television: 480 - Social media: 360 - Radio: 240 - Newspapers: 120 What percentage of respondents chose either television or social media as their primary news source?

    Answer: 70%

    Television + Social media = 480 + 360 = 840. Percentage = (840 ÷ 1 200) × 100 = 70%.

  4. Which of the following sentences uses the word 'nominal' correctly in an academic context?

    Answer: The fee charged was nominal — just R10 — to cover administrative costs.

    'Nominal' means very small or token in amount, not representing real or significant value. A R10 fee described as 'nominal' correctly conveys it is a very small, almost token amount.

  5. A line graph shows South Africa's unemployment rate over five years: 2018: 27.1% 2019: 28.7% 2020: 32.6% 2021: 34.5% 2022: 33.9% Which statement is best supported by this data?

    Answer: Unemployment reached its highest point in 2021 and then began to decline

    The data shows unemployment peaked at 34.5% in 2021 and dropped slightly to 33.9% in 2022, supporting the statement that it reached its highest point in 2021 and then began to decline.

  6. A text states: 'The majority of South Africa's population resides in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.' If South Africa's total population is approximately 60 million, and these three provinces together account for 58% of the population, approximately how many people live outside these three provinces?

    Answer: 25 200 000

    Population in 3 provinces = 58% × 60 million = 34.8 million. Outside = 60 million − 34.8 million = 25.2 million.

  7. Read the following argument and identify the rhetorical technique used: 'If we do not invest in education now, South Africa will face a generation of unemployable youth, a collapse of the tax base, runaway crime, and ultimately the failure of the state itself.' Which rhetorical technique does this argument primarily use?

    Answer: Slippery slope

    A slippery slope argument suggests that one event will inevitably lead to a chain of increasingly severe negative consequences. The argument predicts a cascade from lack of education to state failure.