APS stands for Admission Point Score. It is a number calculated from your Matric results that universities use to decide whether you qualify for a programme. Most South African universities use it. But not all of them calculate it the same way — and a few don't use it at all.

This article explains what APS is, how it works, and what to expect from specific institutions.

How APS is calculated

The standard method works like this:

Your percentage in each subject is converted into a points value using a fixed scale:

You take your six best subjects, convert each one to points using this table, and add them up. That total is your APS.

Life Orientation is excluded by most universities, or counted at a reduced value. Unless the institution specifically says otherwise, do not include it in your calculation.

Example: If your six best subjects score 75%, 68%, 62%, 58%, 55%, and 51%, your points are 6 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 28 APS.

A score of 23 or above is generally the minimum for bachelor's degree entry. Competitive programmes often require 30 or more.

APS is not the whole picture

Meeting the minimum APS for a programme does not guarantee admission. Two things also matter:

Subject requirements. Many programmes require specific subjects at specific levels — regardless of your overall APS. Engineering typically requires Mathematics (not Mathematical Literacy) and Physical Science. Health Sciences often has minimum percentage requirements for key subjects. Your APS can be high enough, but if you are missing a required subject, you will not qualify.

Competitiveness. Popular programmes receive far more qualified applicants than there are seats. The published APS minimum is the floor — the actual cutoff in a given year can be higher depending on the applicant pool.

How different universities handle it

This is where students get caught out. "APS" is not a single uniform system — the term is used broadly, but the calculations differ.

Most universities (including Wits, UJ, NWU, Rhodes, UWC, UKZN, UP, Fort Hare, WSU, UFH, UNIZULU, SMU, MUT, TUT, CUT, VUT, DUT) use the standard points table above. Six subjects, Life Orientation excluded, points added up.

UCT uses a different method entirely. Instead of converting percentages into a points range, your actual percentage is your APS score directly — 74% in a subject = 74 points. This means UCT APS scores are much higher numbers than what other universities produce. A score calculated for UCT cannot be compared to one calculated for Wits or UP.

Stellenbosch University does not use the standard points table either. SU calculates an NSC average — the sum of your six best subjects divided by six — expressed as a percentage. Each programme publishes a minimum average percentage, not an APS points total. The principle is similar, but the number you calculate for SU is not the same as your APS for other institutions.

UNISA operates differently from contact universities. As a distance learning institution, entry requirements vary by qualification and are not typically described using the same APS framework. If UNISA is part of your plan, check their requirements directly and separately.

Why requirements differ between institutions

Even among universities using the same points table, the minimum APS for the same type of programme varies — sometimes significantly.

This reflects a few things: how many applications a programme receives, how competitive its intake is, what the institution's historical performance data shows, and institutional policy on access and equity.

A BCom at one university might require an APS of 26. At another, the same BCom requires 30. This does not mean one is better than the other — it means the applicant pools and institutional contexts differ.

This is why it is never enough to calculate your APS once and assume it applies everywhere. You need to check the specific requirement for the specific programme at the specific institution you are applying to.

Before you move on, make sure you can:

• Calculate your own APS using the standard points table

• Identify which subjects your target programmes require — and at what level

• Check whether the institution you are applying to uses the standard APS method, or something different

• Look up the specific APS requirement for your chosen programme at each university, not just the general university minimum