Overview
The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) is a Nigerian examination body set up in 1992, with its law (Act 70) dated 1993. It took over the technical and business exams that had been run by the Royal Society of Arts, City and Guilds of London and the West African Examinations Council. Its offices are in Benin City, Edo State.
Levels or stages
NABTEB's legal mandate covers exams leading to four awards:
National Technical Certificate (NTC)
Advanced National Technical Certificate (ANTC)
National Business Certificate (NBC)
Advanced National Business Certificate (ANBC)
NABTEB also runs Modular Trade Certificate Examinations (MTCE), which started in March 2004, for people who want skills in components of a trade. Its site lists the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and National Skills Qualification (NSQ) among its qualifications. It also conducts entrance into technical colleges (a common entrance exam), and its mandate lets it run exams for other bodies on request.
Exam pattern
The pages used for this page do not describe paper formats, subjects or practical components. NABTEB publishes timetables for each series, so check the timetable for dates and times.
Important dates
NABTEB holds NBC and NTC exams twice a year: May/June and November/December, each with its own registration portal and timetable. For the 2026 June/July in-school NBC and NTC exams, NABTEB extended registration to midnight on 3 June 2026, with exams beginning on 15 June 2026. It later released the results.
How to apply
May/June series: registration is at NABTEB's field offices (state, zonal and liaison offices) across Nigeria, with an entry guide published with the entry documents. The site also links an online portal.
November/December series: the site links a separate online registration portal and mentions capture of students' biometric data (thumbprints).
Modular and common entrance exams: registration PINs are bought at NABTEB field offices.
NABTEB also publishes a tariff list on its site. The list on the pages used here covers centre inspection and contractor fees, not candidate exam fees, so check the registration portal or a field office for the candidate fee.
After the exam
Results are checked with a PIN from a NABTEB e-World scratch card, a unique 12-digit number. Payments go through Remita to NABTEB, Benin City.
FAQs
What certificates does NABTEB award?
The National Technical Certificate, the National Business Certificate, and their advanced versions (ANTC and ANBC), plus Modular Trade Certificates for components of a trade.
Where do I register?
At a NABTEB field office or on the online portal for the series you are sitting. See the registration pages on the NABTEB site.
When are the exams held?
Twice a year, in May/June and November/December. Check the timetable on the NABTEB site.