APS Requirements per Programme for Medicine, Engineering, Law and Other Popular South African Degrees

What an admission score means in South Africa

Most South African universities convert your seven best NSC subjects, sometimes six excluding Life Orientation, into points on a scale most commonly running to 7 per subject, then add them into a single number. University of Pretoria and UKZN call this the Admission Point Score (APS) and publish faculty-level minimums directly. UCT calculates a similar composite but calls it a Faculty Score rather than APS, and factors in your National Benchmark Test (NBT) results for most programmes. Stellenbosch goes further, using a composite Admission Index built from your NSC average and NBT scores rather than a standard subject-points APS, so a Stellenbosch score is not directly comparable to a UP or UKZN APS number.

Because of these differences, treat any single APS figure as a rough guide to competitiveness rather than an exact cross-university comparison. Always check the calculation method on your target university's current prospectus, not just the headline number.

Score requirements by programme and university

The table below gives indicative minimum scores for the 2026 admission cycle, drawn from published university requirement guides. Confirm the exact figure for your intake year directly with each university's admissions office, since minimums shift annually with applicant numbers and available places.

Medicine sits at the top of every university's requirements, commonly needing a score close to the maximum obtainable, since demand for places far outstrips available seats at every South African medical school. Engineering and Commerce sit closer together in the mid to high 30s, while Law generally needs a slightly lower score than Engineering at the same institution.

Subject-level minimums that override your total score

A high total score does not guarantee a place if you miss a subject-specific minimum. Medicine applicants generally need Pure Mathematics and Physical Sciences each at 70% or higher, regardless of how high the total score runs. Engineering applicants need Pure Mathematics and Physical Sciences each at 60% or higher on top of meeting the points threshold. Universities apply these subject minimums as a hard gate before they even look at your total score, so a strong overall average with a weak Mathematics or Physical Sciences grade still fails Medicine or Engineering admission.

The National Benchmark Test matters for competitive programmes

UCT requires the National Benchmark Test (NBT) for most degree programmes, and the test measures academic literacy, quantitative literacy and mathematics ability beyond what your NSC results show. Wits uses a composite score built from your matric average and NBT results specifically for Medicine, rather than a standalone APS number. If you plan to apply to a competitive programme at UCT, Wits or Stellenbosch, register for the NBT early in your final year of secondary school, since sitting dates fill up and a missed test can rule you out of programmes that require it.

Using these scores to plan your applications

• Calculate your score using each university's own method, not a single generic APS calculator, since Stellenbosch and UCT diverge from the standard formula.

• Check subject-specific minimums for Mathematics and Physical Sciences before you assume a high total score qualifies you for Medicine or Engineering.

• Register for the NBT early if you plan to apply to UCT, Wits or Stellenbosch, since several competitive programmes require it alongside your NSC results.

• Apply to a spread of universities and programmes, since the same course can need a notably different score from one institution to the next.