Calculating Your APS for South African University Admission
By Muntasir • Published Sep 09, 2025 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Africa Admissions & Exams
Your Admission Point Score (APS) converts your six best NSC subject percentages into points on a 1 to 7 scale, then adds them up to a maximum of 42. Each university sets its own APS minimum per degree.
🎓 80-100% scores 7 points, 70-79% scores 6, down to 0-29% for 1 point
Add your best 6 subjects. Most universities exclude Life Orientation
Standard maximum APS is 42. Competitive degrees often ask for 30 or more
🏠 UCT, Stellenbosch and Wits score admission differently, not by standard APS
What your APS score means
Most South African universities turn your matric percentages into a single number, the Admission Point Score, before deciding whether you qualify for a degree or diploma. Each faculty publishes a minimum APS in its prospectus, so knowing your own score before you apply tells you which programmes are realistic.
The point scale behind your APS
The National Senior Certificate grades every subject on seven achievement levels. Most universities treat the level itself as the point value for that subject.
| Achievement level | Percentage | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 80-100% | 7 |
| 6 | 70-79% | 6 |
| 5 | 60-69% | 5 |
| 4 | 50-59% | 4 |
| 3 | 40-49% | 3 |
| 2 | 30-39% | 2 |
| 1 | 0-29% | 1 |
How to calculate your own APS
List all your NSC subject percentages, including Life Orientation.
Convert each percentage into points using the table above.
Drop Life Orientation and pick your best six remaining subjects.
Add the six point values together. The result is your APS, out of a standard maximum of 42.
Example: a student with 85%, 78%, 72%, 65%, 58%, and 52% in their best six subjects scores 7+6+6+5+4+4, an APS of 32.
Where APS minimums come from
Universities set a minimum APS for every degree and update it each admission cycle based on how many students apply and how many places exist. A degree that asked for an APS of 28 one year can raise or lower that minimum the next year, so check your target university's current prospectus rather than an old copy or a friend's information. Meeting the minimum APS does not guarantee a place. Popular programmes like Medicine, Engineering, and Law often receive far more qualifying applicants than they have seats, and universities rank applicants by APS and subject marks once the minimum is met.
Universities that score admission differently
Not every university uses the standard 1 to 7 point APS. The University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University score your actual subject percentages rather than achievement levels, which produces a different-looking number for the same academic profile. Wits University applies its own weighted method for several faculties. UNISA and the University of Fort Hare count all seven subjects, including Life Orientation, instead of your best six. Always read the admission requirements page of each university you apply to rather than assuming your standard APS transfers directly.