Mathematics (MAT) notes

The National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) are standardised assessments that measure your readiness for university-level study. South African universities use NBT results alongside your National Senior…

The MAT places heavy emphasis on number sense and your ability to manipulate expressions involving surds, exponents, and logarithms without a calculator. Strong fluency with the real number system…

Pattern recognition is a core skill tested in the MAT. You need to identify arithmetic sequences, geometric sequences, and non-standard patterns quickly, and apply the corresponding formulas for…

These topics form the backbone of quantitative reasoning in the MAT. While ratios and percentages are taught in earlier grades, the MAT tests them at a much deeper level than the NSC. Without a…

Algebraic manipulation forms the single largest topic area in the MAT. You need to solve equations and inequalities confidently, factorise efficiently, and manipulate expressions involving…

Functions are at the heart of the MAT. You need a deep understanding of function notation, domain and range, composition, and inverses. MAT questions expect you to work with functions abstractly…

Understanding how algebraic changes to a function's equation affect its graph is essential for the MAT. You need to instantly recognise the effect of adding, multiplying, or reflecting: both…

The MAT requires you to move fluidly between equations and their graphs. You must be able to read an equation and sketch the graph, or look at a graph and write its equation. This section covers…

Trigonometry is heavily tested in the MAT, covering definitions, identities, equations, and graphs. You need to be fluent with the unit circle, reduction formulae, compound angles, and solving trig…

The MAT includes questions on both 2D shapes (circles, triangles, polygons) and 3D objects (prisms, pyramids, cones, spheres). You need to know area and volume formulae, properties of shapes, and be…

Analytical (coordinate) geometry combines algebra with geometry on the Cartesian plane. The MAT tests your ability to work with distance, midpoints, gradients, equations of lines and circles, and…

The MAT includes questions on data analysis, measures of central tendency, dispersion, and probability. You need to interpret data quickly from tables, graphs, and statistical summaries. Mean…

The MAT includes questions that test your mathematical reasoning: the ability to think logically, work with unfamiliar problems, and apply mathematical concepts in novel contexts. These questions…

Knowing the mathematics is only half the battle. You also need a solid test strategy. The MAT has 60 questions in 3 hours, giving you an average of 3 minutes per question. Some questions take 30…