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AL TEST INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CRITICAL ACADEMIC LITERACIES MODULES: BLOEMFONTEIN, QWAQWA AND SOUTH CAMPUSES

**This information does not apply to the following programmes: Bachelor of Management Leadership, part-time Quantity Surveying, Health Sciences (but it does apply to nursing programmes).

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Critical Academic Literacies Modules and the Academic Literacy Test

The Critical Academic Literacies modules are courses that will help you to develop the necessary writing, reading, and critical thinking skills necessary for success at university. All students must register for one of these faculty-specific courses (more information below). The UFS does, however, have a test of academic literacy proficiency. Mainstream programme students who receive the required score for this test, may be exempted from this module (you MUST still register for the module during registration).

What if I wrote the NBT?
If you have written the academic literacy part of the National Benchmark Test (NBT), we will use your NBT score to determine whether you may be exempted from the faculty- specific CAL module (not applicable to extended degree programmes).

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What must I do when I register Jan/Feb?

  1. You must register for a compulsory, faculty-specific Critical Academic Literacies module. You must select the relevant module based on the faculty in which you are registering:
  • CALH 1508: Faculty of the Humanities; School of Nursing
  • CALT 1508: Faculty of Education
  • CALE 1508: Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
  • CALN 1508: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
  • CALL 1508: Faculty of Law
  • CALR 1508: Faculty of Theology

Click here for more information about the Critical Academic Literacies modules.

  1. If you have registered for a mainstream programme, you must write the compulsory academic literacy test. We use the results of this test to determine if you qualify for exemption from a compulsory, faculty-specific Critical Academic Literacies module.
  • If you perform at the expected level in the academic literacy test, you may be exempted from a faculty-specific Critical Academic Literacies developmental module.
  • If you do not perform at the expected level in the academic literacy test, you must successfully complete a faculty-specific Critical Academic Literacies module in your first year of study. You will not be able to graduate without successfully completing this module.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO STUDY FOR THIS TEST.

  1. If you have registered for an extended degree programme, you DO NOT need to write the test since you cannot be exempted from the module as it is a degree requirement.

You will have the opportunity to write the two-hour test between 30 January and 7 February 2026.

You are required to write in person.

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YOU CAN START BOOKING FOR A TEST SESSION 12 JANUARY 2026. CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TEST SESSION, OR SCAN THE QR CODE.

HOW TO BOOK AND WHO TO CONTACT

YOU CAN START BOOKING FOR A TEST SESSION
12 JANUARY 2026
QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions, please contact the AL test offices:

Bloemfontein and South Campus:
E: ALtestBFN@ufs.ac.za
T: +27 (0) 51 401 2448

Qwaqwa Campus:
E: ALtestQQ@ufs.ac.za
T: +27 (0) 58 718 5066
AL Test Information 


Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

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