What Happens on Course Day…

With the opening of the new season of NBT test dates, the attention of many matric students and their parents is turning to how best to tackle this qualification requirement to gain access to their highly competitive course of choice at University. The Advantage Learn NBT Prep Course provides a unique pathway to NBT help. As there are no NBT past papers available to learners, the only way to prepare for the task ahead is to familiarise yourself with the style of questioning and answering associated with a sophisticated multiple choice test, as well as the academic contents incorporated into the test. Thus, on an Advantage Learn NBT Prep Course, learners will not be sat down and retaught Algebra; they will be exposed to techniques to aid them in succeeding in a time pressurised, unknown testing environment. The general experience of learners at an English language NBT course with Trish Pike is detailed below.

What to expect

Upon arrival at an in-person NBT Prep course, learners are greeted with a carefully constructed and designed workbook (including notes and model answers), produced after hours of research and input from instructor Trish Pike, and the Advantage Learn team. Learners are thrown into the proverbial deep end with a pop quiz as they arrive. On the day of the course attendees will receive an sms with a link to a google form that consists of 6 multiple choice questions. Learners are required to answer as best they can in 18 minutes, and their responses are available to Trish. Thus with any given group of students Trish is able to get a feel for where those attending may need targeted help – guided by their responses to the pop quiz. Once the quiz is closed, Trish then starts off the day by taking learners through a realistic look at how the testing they will undergo on their NBT test day (both in terms of environments and content) will differ from their usual school-going experiences.

Two of the most recent NBT Prep Courses conducted by Trish in Durban were held at IMM Durban (14 May 2016), and Varsity College Durban North (21 May 2016). The venues used for the NBT courses are often tertiary institutions. This provides learners with a glimpse into the learning environment experienced in tertiary education, as well as an environment that is very different to what they are used to at school. When writing the NBT, students are not in familiar environments, and thus the course can help to eliminate any effect the ‘fear of the unknown’ can have upon the learner’s nerves. Trish is highly invested in seeing all learners who pass through her courses succeed to the best of their capabilities. A woman who values hard work and a frank approach to education, she takes her learners through a detailed journey of ‘what to expect on the day’, dispelling the fear of the unknown that can add to the anxiety of the test day. The main beauty of the NBT Prep course is, however, Trish’s skills in making mathematics relatable through a passionate application of her knowledge from her years of experience in the field.

The nitty gritty

The NBT Prep Course is offered virtually every Saturday (somewhere in the country) from when the NBT releases their test dates (roughly April – January). Learners can select a course date based on their location, the demands of their school timetable, and the date of their NBT (once they have booked a test date). Thus the size of any course group will vary depending on how popular that date is (and the size of the venue). For example of the two courses mentioned above, the first was attended by 92 learners, and the second 22. Learners can choose whether they want to tackle preparing for the NBT through a blended approach (book here) consisting of the ‘in person’ course plus the online content, or strictly through online content (book here).