Bachelor pass requirements and every matric pass level explained

A bachelor pass is the highest of the four National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass levels and the minimum you need to apply for a degree in South Africa. You need at least 40% in your home language, at least 50% in four subjects other than Life Orientation and at least 30% in one more, and you have to pass six of your seven subjects.

The diploma and higher certificate passes ask for less, and each one leads to a different kind of study after school. This guide sets out all four levels and how they apply through the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the IEB and SACAI. It ends with what to do on results day if the pass comes in lower than planned.

Matric pass levels at a glance

Your statement of results shows one of four outcomes. Each has its own minimum marks, and each decides which kind of study you can apply for next.

Two more rules apply to every level. Every subject needs complete School-Based Assessment (SBA) marks, and universities and colleges want at least 30% in the language they teach in.

What the levels on your statement mean

Next to each subject, the statement shows an achievement level from 1 to 7. Level 4 meets the 50% bachelor requirement, and level 3 is the 40% mark that the diploma and higher certificate rules use.

Bachelor pass requirements

A bachelor pass needs at least 40% in your home language, at least 50% in four subjects other than Life Orientation and at least 30% in one more subject, and you have to pass six of your seven subjects. It is the minimum for applying to any degree, and each university adds its own requirements on top.

The Western Cape Education Department notes that the bachelor pass used to be called an exemption, which is why many parents still say “matric exemption”. Learners who apply with A Levels follow a separate exemption process, which we cover further down this guide.

Three marks between a bachelor and a diploma pass

The table shows two sets of results for the same learner. Only Business Studies differs, by three marks.

In results A, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Geography and Business Studies all reach 50%, English clears 40% and Afrikaans clears 30%. In results B, Business Studies drops to 49%, which leaves three subjects at 50% or more. The learner still passes with a diploma pass, because English is above 40% and three other subjects are above 40%.

Three marks on one paper can move a learner between levels, so consider a remark when a subject lands just under 50%. The results day section below explains how it works.

Diploma pass requirements

A diploma pass needs at least 40% in your home language and at least 40% in three more subjects other than Life Orientation, and you have to pass six of your seven subjects. It lets you apply for diploma and higher certificate study, for example at a university of technology or a TVET college.

In the national admission rules, the same requirement appears as an achievement level of 3 (40 to 49%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects, plus 30% in the language the institution teaches in. Universities can set higher requirements for individual programmes. The government’s Vuk’uzenzele guide uses the example of a data diploma that requires a set level in Mathematics or Information Technology.

Higher certificate pass requirements

A higher certificate pass needs at least 40% in three subjects, one of them your home language, and at least 30% in three more, with a pass in six of your seven subjects. Those are the minimum rules for the National Senior Certificate itself, so a higher certificate pass means your child has passed matric.

Colleges and universities also look for 30% in the language they teach in. A higher certificate course can lead on to diploma or degree study, and our guide to bridging courses for university acceptance covers how that works.

The basic NSC pass and the 30% myth

The National Senior Certificate needs 40% in three subjects, one of them an official language at home language level, and 30% in three more, with full SBA evidence in every subject. One subject can fall below 30%, as long as its SBA is complete.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube rejected the idea that 30% is the matric pass mark when she announced the class of 2025 results on 12 January 2026. A learner with 30% in every subject fails, because three subjects need 40% and one of them has to be the home language.

Learners with special education needs can earn an NSC with an endorsement, which needs 30% in the required official language and 30% in four other subjects.

Does a bachelor pass from the IEB or SACAI count the same?

Yes. The DBE, the IEB and SACAI all examine the same National Senior Certificate, and Umalusi quality-assures all three before it approves their results. Universities apply one set of admission rules to NSC applicants, whichever body set the papers.

North-West University, for example, asks for a USAf exemption certificate only from applicants with qualifications other than the NSC, IEB or SACAI. The University of Pretoria applies the same admission requirements to NSC and IEB candidates.

The IEB’s bachelor share is almost double the DBE’s. Most IEB candidates come from private schools, and the pass rules are the same for all three bodies.

CambriLearn registers CAPS and KABV learners with SACAI from Grade 10, and IEB learners with the IEB. They write Grade 10 and 11 tests at home under online proctoring and sit their Grade 12 finals at an exam centre in South Africa. Our IEB pathway enrols Grades 10 and 11 now, and Grade 12 opens in 2028. Our page on how exams work and our guide to SACAI-registered online schools have the detail.

Why a bachelor pass doesn’t guarantee a university place

A bachelor pass makes your child eligible to apply for a degree. Each university then ranks applicants by Admission Point Score (APS) and sets subject minimums for every programme, so two learners with bachelor passes can receive very different offers.

The University of Pretoria, for instance, leaves Life Orientation out of its APS, ranks applicants on their final Grade 11 and Grade 12 results and states that meeting the minimum doesn’t guarantee admission. You can check where your child stands with our APS calculator.

Subjects matter as much as marks. Many degrees in engineering, science and commerce list Mathematics as a requirement, and Mathematical Literacy doesn’t count in its place. In 2025, 34% of matric candidates wrote Mathematics, according to the DBE. Our Grade 10 subject choices guide shows which subjects keep which degrees open.

A Levels and other international qualifications

Learners who finish school with A Levels or another foreign qualification don’t receive an NSC pass level. They apply to the Matriculation Board of Universities South Africa (USAf) for a certificate of exemption, which shows a university that they meet the minimum for degree study.

For complete exemption, USAf asks for two A Level passes at grades A* to E plus three International GCSE or O Level passes at grades A to C, including English and an approved second language. A second route accepts four AS Level passes at grades A to D plus one International GCSE or O Level pass, with the same language requirements.

Students on CambriLearn’s International British Curriculum and Pearson Edexcel pathways work towards International GCSEs, AS Levels and A Levels, and they apply to South African universities through this route. Our guide to university exemption for online school learners walks through the application, and our university pathways guide compares entry routes in South Africa, the UK and the US.

Planning for a bachelor pass from Grade 9

Learners start building towards a bachelor pass in Grade 10. They have to meet the SBA requirements in Grades 10, 11 and 12 to receive the NSC, and the same 40% and 30% rule that defines a pass also decides promotion in Grades 10 and 11.

Universities make early offers on final Grade 11 marks. The University of Pretoria, for example, asks learners in Grade 12 to apply with their final Grade 11 results, so the target of 50% in four subjects applies at the end of Grade 11 as well as in the finals.

Subject choices come first. At the end of Grade 9, families choose between Mathematics and Mathematical Literacy and pick three electives, and those choices decide which degrees stay open three years later.

Results day: what to do if the pass falls short

If the pass level is lower than your child needs, you have three options: correct errors on the statement, apply for a remark or recheck, or rewrite subjects in the May/June exams. In the Western Cape, remark and recheck applications for the class of 2026 close on Monday 25 January 2027.

1. Check the statement. Names, ID number and subjects must match your child’s documents. The Western Cape Education Department accepts correction requests until 12 February 2027.
2. Apply for a remark or recheck. In a remark, a second marker marks the script again. A recheck confirms that the marker marked every question and that the totals add up. In the Western Cape a remark costs R130 per subject and a recheck R40, and full-time learners at no-fee schools pay nothing. Applications go through eservices.gov.za on a computer, and the department only issues a new statement if a subject moves up a level or the pass level changes.
3. Rewrite in May/June. Candidates who missed a diploma or bachelor pass can register for the May/June NSC exams, and if the new marks change the pass level, Umalusi issues a new certificate. The Western Cape’s registration window for the May/June 2027 exams closes on 5 February 2027, and the DBE’s Second Chance Matric Programme supports learners preparing to rewrite.

Learners who wrote through SACAI or the IEB apply through their own assessment body, with its own dates. In 2026 the IEB closed registration for its May/June exams on 13 March.

CambriLearn teaches full-time learners aged 4 to 19 and doesn’t run rewrite or adult matric programmes. Our guide to the seven ways to get a matric certificate covers the other routes.

Questions parents ask about matric pass levels

When do the class of 2026 matric results come out?

Results reach learners on Tuesday 12 January 2027 from 10:00, according to the Western Cape Education Department. For the class of 2025, the Minister announced the national results the evening before learners received theirs.

Is a higher certificate pass a pass or a fail?

It is a pass. A higher certificate pass means your child has met the minimum for the National Senior Certificate. It doesn’t meet the bar for diploma or degree study, but it lets your child apply for higher certificate courses at colleges and universities.

Does Life Orientation count towards a bachelor pass?

Your child has to pass Life Orientation as one of seven subjects, but it doesn’t count towards the four subjects that need 50% or more. Universities such as the University of Pretoria also leave it out when they calculate the APS.

Can you get a bachelor pass if you fail one subject?

Yes, as long as the failed subject isn’t your home language and the rest of your results meet the bachelor rules. You have to pass six of your seven subjects, and the university you apply to will still want at least 30% in the language it teaches in.

Is 23 APS a bachelor pass?

The NSC rules set your pass level, and each university works out APS its own way. An APS of 23 can come with a bachelor pass, so check the subject marks against the bachelor rules and then against the programme’s APS minimum.

Do IEB and SACAI bachelor passes count the same as DBE passes?

Yes. The DBE, the IEB and SACAI all examine the National Senior Certificate, and Umalusi quality-assures all three. Universities apply the same admission rules, and only applicants with foreign school qualifications, such as A Levels, need an exemption certificate from USAf.

What are the bachelor pass requirements in Grade 11?

Grade 11 uses promotion requirements instead of pass levels: 40% in three subjects, one of them your home language, and 30% in three more. Universities make early offers on final Grade 11 results, so a learner aiming for a degree should reach 50% or more in four subjects by the end of Grade 11.

Can my child improve their pass level after results day?

Yes. Candidates who miss a diploma or bachelor pass can register for the May/June NSC exams, and if the new marks change the pass level, Umalusi issues a new certificate. In the Western Cape, registration for the May/June 2027 exams closes on 5 February 2027.