What It Is Called
The NHBRC calls it the technical assessment, and sometimes the technical test or technical exam. You will also see it called the competency assessment, or simply “the NHBRC test”. They are the same thing.
Who Writes It
The person who will oversee the building work. For a company that is the nominated technical person; for an owner builder, the NHBRC’s own owner-builder guide states that the applicant, or the person holding power of attorney who will supervise the work, has to complete and pass it.
Where It Fits in Registration
You apply and pay the application fee first, and are issued the Home Builders Manual to study. The assessment comes after that, and a Builders’ Induction workshop after the assessment. The whole sequence is set out in our guide to registering with the NHBRC.
How and Where to Book It
Through the NHBRC directly. Its registration page states that assessments are conducted Monday to Friday at your nearest customer care office, and that you should enquire about the scheduled times. The online services portal also carries a Test Appointment option, with rescheduling. It is written in person at an NHBRC office, not online.
What the NHBRC Publishes About the Format Official
The NHBRC publishes the fees, the two-attempt rule and the study material. It does not publish the number of questions, the duration, or the pass mark. A study pack advertised as “the actual exam questions” should not be treated as an official assessment paper.
A 2021 NHBRC tender for an automated assessment system describes the process: pre-set questions with pre-set answers, marked automatically, drawn at random per stage of the building process, with a unique set per identity number. That is the clearest official description of the format available, and it still names no question count.
What Candidates Report Reported
Candidates and preparation providers commonly report about 25 multiple-choice questions, open book with the manual and your ID, 13 out of 25 needed to pass, results the same day. Reports of the duration split between one hour and two.
- Questions
- About 25reported
- Pass mark
- 13 of 25reported, about 52%
- Format
- Open bookreported
These reports are not official requirements. Follow the instructions your provincial office gives you when you book.
What It Covers
The Home Builders Manual the NHBRC issues you, which draws on the SANS standards, particularly SANS 10400 and SANS 2001. Our practice questions are organised into eight study areas, and every answer names the part it comes from, so a wrong answer always has a document you can open. Our guide to what the test covers lists all eight with their references.
What It Costs Official
The NHBRC publishes an application fee of R745.61, once off and not refundable, and annual membership of R526.32. No separate assessment fee is published: the assessment is part of the application. Fees can change. Check nhbrc.org.za before you budget.
If You Fail
You get two attempts, within 30 days of paying the application fee. That window is the reason to prepare before you book rather than after.
How to Prepare
Study the manual you are issued, then practise multiple-choice questions under timed conditions. This site offers 277 questions across eight study areas, with answers and references to the relevant standards. Our two-week preparation plan sets out how to use them.
Questions People Ask
How many questions are in the NHBRC test?
The NHBRC does not publish the number. Prep providers and people who have written it consistently describe about 25 multiple-choice questions. Treat that as what candidates report, not as an official figure.
What is the pass mark?
The NHBRC does not publish a pass mark. The figure reported consistently elsewhere is 13 out of 25, about 52%. Our own timed tests mark you at 80%, which is deliberately stricter than that. There is more on this in our guide to the pass mark.
How long does it take?
The duration is not published. Some sources report one hour, others two. Confirm the duration with your provincial office when you book.
Is it open book?
Candidates consistently report that it is, with the Home Builders Manual and your ID allowed and phones not. The NHBRC does not publish a rule, so ask your provincial office when you book.
What happens if I fail?
The NHBRC allows two attempts, within 30 days of paying the application fee. Its own training material refers to applicants who failed a first or second assessment, so a second attempt is a normal part of the process.