An Admission Point Score (APS) is the number South African universities use to screen applications. Each matric subject earns points based on your final percentage, and the total decides which degrees you can apply for. Enter your marks below to see your score the way universities actually count it, including the separate Wits method.
Use your most recent final percentages. Grade 11 finals work for conditional offers; final NSC results give your confirmed APS.
An Admission Point Score (APS) converts your National Senior Certificate (NSC) subject percentages into points that South African universities use to set entry requirements. Most universities add the points of your best six 20-credit subjects, exclude Life Orientation, and cap the total at 42.
Every NSC subject is graded on seven achievement levels, and at most universities the level is the point value. The NSC is examined by three bodies: the Department of Basic Education, the IEB and SACAI. All three are quality assured by Umalusi, the national qualifications quality council, and all three are scored on the same seven levels, so your APS works identically whichever examination body you write through.
| Final percentage | NSC achievement level | APS points (standard method) |
|---|---|---|
| 80% to 100% | Level 7 | 7 |
| 70% to 79% | Level 6 | 6 |
| 60% to 69% | Level 5 | 5 |
| 50% to 59% | Level 4 | 4 |
| 40% to 49% | Level 3 | 3 |
| 30% to 39% | Level 2 | 2 |
| 0% to 29% | Level 1 | 1 |
To calculate a standard APS, convert each of your six best subjects into its NSC achievement level, leave Life Orientation out, and add the six values together. The maximum possible standard APS is 42, which requires level 7 in all six counted subjects.
A learner with 82%, 74%, 76%, 71%, 58% and 45% in their six counted subjects
Universities publish a minimum APS for every degree in their prospectus, alongside subject-specific requirements such as Mathematics at level 5 for engineering programmes. Both conditions must be met, and because places are limited, successful applicants usually score comfortably above the published minimum.
Grade 11 final results are widely used for conditional offers, including at the University of Pretoria, but final admission always depends on your final NSC results.
Most South African universities, including the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg, North-West University, the University of the Free State and UKZN, add the levels of your best six subjects and exclude Life Orientation. Wits uses its own weighted method, while UCT and Stellenbosch score actual percentages rather than levels.
| Method | Subjects counted | Life Orientation | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (UP, UJ, NWU, UFS, UKZN and others) | Best six | Excluded | 42 |
| Wits weighted method | Best seven | Included, capped at 4 points | Weighted 8-point scale, with bonuses |
| UCT and Stellenbosch | Percentage based | Varies by faculty | See faculty admission pages |
Wits calculates its APS from your best seven subjects including Life Orientation, and faculty-specific subjects must be included in the count. English and Mathematics are scored on a higher column that adds two bonus points from 60% upwards, other subjects score up to 8 points, and Life Orientation is capped at 4 points. The table below is reproduced from the official Wits entry requirements page.
| Final percentage | English and Mathematics | Life Orientation | Other subjects |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% to 100% | 10 | 4 | 8 |
| 80% to 89% | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| 70% to 79% | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| 60% to 69% | 7 | 1 | 5 |
| 50% to 59% | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 40% to 49% | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Below 40% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Two further Wits rules matter for planning. English must be taken as Home Language or First Additional Language, and Wits considers only one matric upgrade or rewrite attempt, so a second rewrite disqualifies an application. Wits accepts the NSC from all three examination bodies: the Department of Basic Education, the IEB and SACAI.
Students who complete Grade 12 through an accredited online school write the same National Senior Certificate as classroom learners and receive the same APS. CambriLearn's CAPS students write the NSC through SACAI, an Umalusi accredited examination body that South African public universities accept alongside the Department of Basic Education and the IEB.
The distinction that matters to universities is the qualification, not the classroom. An NSC level 6 earned through live online lessons carries exactly the same APS points as a level 6 from a traditional school, and Wits names SACAI candidates explicitly in its published entry requirements.
CambriLearn is an accredited online school that has educated more than 80,000 students across 100+ countries over more than 20 years, with live timetabled lessons taught by specialist teachers. CambriLearn is accredited by Cognia, is an approved Pearson Edexcel centre (Centre Number 94888), is registered with SACAI and the IEB, and is NCAA approved. Read more about how universities treat online school qualifications or explore the full online high school programme.
Cambridge* International students do not receive NSC achievement levels, so they do not have a conventional APS. South African universities admit them through a foreign conditional exemption issued by the Universities South Africa (USAf) Matriculation Board, based on International GCSE, AS Level and A Level results.
USAf recognises three qualification combinations for the exemption certificate, with minimum grades of E at A Level, D at AS Level and C at International GCSE. Results may be accumulated across two examination sittings, and the certificate is valid for five years and renewable.
Two A Level subjects together with three International GCSE subjects.
Three A Level subjects together with one International GCSE subject.
Four AS Level subjects together with one International GCSE subject.
Each university then converts A Level grades into its own points for programme selection, published in its prospectus, so a strong A Level profile competes directly with high APS candidates. Full details sit with the USAf Matriculation Board and in the Cambridge International recognition guide for South Africa, and our guide to university exemption for online students walks through the application itself.
Why this matters when choosing a curriculum: a learner on the CAPS route through SACAI competes on APS, while a learner on the International British Curriculum* route competes through USAf exemption plus A Level grades, keeping both South African and international universities open. CambriLearn teaches both pathways, so the choice can follow the child rather than the school.
Convert each matric subject percentage into its NSC achievement level from 1 to 7, exclude Life Orientation, and add the levels of your best six subjects. The maximum standard APS is 42. Wits, UCT and Stellenbosch apply their own variations, so always confirm against the university's published method.
At most universities, including UP and UJ, Life Orientation is excluded from the APS entirely because it is a 10-credit subject. Wits is the main exception: it counts Life Orientation within your best seven subjects, capped at a maximum of 4 points.
Every university publishes a minimum APS per degree in its prospectus, together with subject-specific requirements such as Mathematics at a set level. Because programmes are number limited, meeting the minimum never guarantees a place, and successful applicants typically score above the published cut-off.
Yes. Online students who write the National Senior Certificate through SACAI or the IEB receive the same achievement levels and the same APS as learners at traditional schools. Wits, for example, lists the Department of Basic Education, the IEB and SACAI as equally accepted examination bodies.
Cambridge* International students apply through a foreign conditional exemption from the USAf Matriculation Board rather than an APS. The recognised combinations are two A Levels plus three International GCSEs, three A Levels plus one International GCSE, or four AS Levels plus one International GCSE, with minimum grades of E, D and C respectively.
Yes, by upgrading or rewriting subjects and resubmitting results, though universities set their own rules on rewrites. Wits considers only one matric upgrade or rewrite attempt, and a second attempt disqualifies the application, so a rewrite should be planned carefully with the target programme in mind.
Yes. Wits scores your best seven subjects including Life Orientation on a weighted scale where strong subjects earn up to 8 points, English and Mathematics earn up to 10 points, and Life Orientation is capped at 4. The same marks therefore produce a different, usually higher, number at Wits than the standard best-six APS.
Whether your child needs a stronger APS through the SACAI matric route or the global reach of the International British Curriculum*, a CambriLearn education consultant can map the pathway from their current grade to the degree they want.
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*Cambridge is a registered trademark of Cambridge Assessment International Education. CambriLearn is an independent online school and prepares students for these examinations through registered examination centres.
APS methods and admission requirements are set by each university and may change. Figures on this page were verified against the University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria and Universities South Africa publications in July 2026. Always confirm current requirements with the university before applying. Meeting a minimum APS does not guarantee admission.
