Short answer: how APS is calculated depends on the university, because there is no single APS in South Africa. Each university turns your NSC marks into its own admission point score (APS). Unisa, and UJ on its 2022 rules, add the NSC levels of six subjects without Life Orientation, so the highest score is 42. Wits counts seven subjects, Life Orientation included, on a points table of its own. UCT adds percentages, not levels. The same marks can give 33 at Unisa, 40 at Wits and 419 at UCT.
The APS Calculator gives all four scores and your NSC pass from one set of marks.
Step 1: turn each mark into an NSC level
Every NSC subject gets a percentage and an achievement level from 1 to 7. These are the bands from Nuffic's page on South Africa. Unisa and UJ print the same bands.
| Level | Percentage | Description (Nuffic) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 80 to 100 | Outstanding |
| 6 | 70 to 79 | Meritorious |
| 5 | 60 to 69 | Substantial |
| 4 | 50 to 59 | Adequate |
| 3 | 40 to 49 | Moderate |
| 2 | 30 to 39 | Elementary |
| 1 | 0 to 29 | Not achieved |
A level covers a whole band. 70% and 79% are both level 6, and 80% is level 7. So on a rule that adds levels, a mark near the top of a band earns nothing extra until it crosses into the next one.
Step 2: use the rule of the university you are applying to
GradeCat checked these four rules against the universities' own pages on 4 November 2026.
Unisa: add six levels
Unisa's undergraduate FAQs add the NSC levels of six recognised 20-credit subjects, which Unisa calls the Academic Point Score. Life Orientation is left out, and the highest APS is 42: six subjects at level 7.
UJ, 2022 rules: the same sum
Page 15 of UJ's Undergraduate Prospectus 2022 adds the achievement ratings, 1 to 7, of six subjects, and Life Orientation is not counted. The ratings are the NSC levels, so the same marks give the same total as at Unisa. This rule is for 2022 only. GradeCat could not open UJ's current pages, so check UJ's latest prospectus.
Wits: seven subjects on its own table
The Wits entry requirements count your best seven subjects, Life Orientation included. Each mark scores points from the table below, not its NSC level. English must be a Home Language or First Additional Language, and your faculty's required subjects must be among the seven. The page names no admission year.
| Mark | Other subjects | English and Mathematics | Life Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | 8 | 10 | 4 |
| 80 to 89 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| 70 to 79 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 60 to 69 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 50 to 59 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 40 to 49 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| below 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
From 60% up, English and Mathematics score 2 more than other subjects. Below 40%, every subject scores 0.
UCT: add percentages, not levels
UCT's eligibility page adds your NSC percentages for six subjects, without Life Orientation. The six must include English and your programme's required subjects. A subject under 40% adds nothing. The page gives no maximum and no NBT weighting.
Why Life Orientation is usually left out
Life Orientation is a 10-credit subject, so it is not one of the recognised 20-credit subjects. Unisa, UJ (2022 rules) and UCT leave it out. Wits counts it in a column of its own, worth at most 4 points. A strong Life Orientation mark helps a little at Wits and not at all at the other three.
Worked example 1: 33 at Unisa, 40 at Wits and 419 at UCT
A made-up learner from GradeCat's research on these rules, with English as the language of teaching:
| Subject | Mark | Unisa, UJ | Wits | UCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Home Language | 72% | 6 | 8 | 72 |
| Mathematics | 65% | 5 | 7 | 65 |
| Physical Sciences | 58% | 4 | 4 | 58 |
| Life Sciences | 81% | 7 | 7 | 81 |
| Geography | 69% | 5 | 5 | 69 |
| Afrikaans First Additional Language | 74% | 6 | 6 | 74 |
| Life Orientation | 83% | left out | 3 | left out |
| Total | 33 | 40 | 419 |
- Unisa: 6 + 5 + 4 + 7 + 5 + 6 = 33. UJ's 2022 rule gives 33 too.
- Wits: 8 + 7 + 4 + 7 + 5 + 6 + 3 = 40. English at 72% scores 6 + 2 = 8, and Mathematics at 65% scores 5 + 2 = 7.
- UCT: 72 + 65 + 58 + 81 + 69 + 74 = 419.
All six subjects besides Life Orientation are at 50% or more, and English is at 72%. That is a Bachelor pass, if the school-based assessment is complete.
Worked example 2: a mark under 40% and a Diploma pass
A second made-up learner, taught in English, with isiZulu as Home Language:
| Subject | Mark | Unisa, UJ | Wits | UCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| isiZulu Home Language | 68% | 5 | 5 | 68 |
| English First Additional Language | 55% | 4 | 4 | 55 |
| Mathematics | 45% | 3 | 3 | 45 |
| Business Studies | 52% | 4 | 4 | 52 |
| History | 47% | 3 | 3 | 47 |
| Tourism | 38% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Life Orientation | 71% | left out | 2 | left out |
| Total | 21 | 21 | 267 |
- Unisa: 5 + 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 21.
- Wits: 5 + 4 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 0 + 2 = 21.
- UCT: 68 + 55 + 45 + 52 + 47 + 0 = 267.
Unisa and Wits land on the same total for different reasons. Tourism at 38% is still level 2, so it adds 2 at Unisa, but it scores 0 at Wits and adds nothing at UCT. Life Orientation adds 2 at Wits only.
This is a Diploma pass. Five subjects besides Life Orientation are at 40% or more, but only three are at 50% or more, and a Bachelor pass needs four. History at 50% instead of 47% would make it a Bachelor pass.
Where one percent changes the most
Take Mathematics at 59% and then at 60%. At Unisa it moves from level 4 to level 5, so the APS goes up by 1. At UCT the sum goes up by 1. At Wits it moves from 4 points to 7, so the APS goes up by 3. For another subject, such as Life Sciences, the same step adds 1 at Wits. If you apply to Wits, 60% in English and Mathematics is the line to aim for.
APS and the NSC pass are not the same thing
Your APS is a university's score. Your NSC pass is set nationally by the DBE's NSC Examinations page, and it decides which kind of study you can be considered for:
- NSC pass: 40% or more in three subjects, one of them an official language at Home Language level, 30% or more in three other subjects, and full school-based assessment (SBA) evidence.
- Higher Certificate pass: An NSC pass and 30% or more in the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) of the institution.
- Diploma pass: An NSC pass, 30% or more in the LoLT, and level 3 (40 to 49%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects.
- Bachelor pass: An NSC pass, 30% or more in the LoLT, and level 4 (50 to 59%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects.
Each university sets its own APS minimum per programme, which can change yearly. GradeCat lists no minimums.
What this guide does not cover
- UKZN. Its selection page adds six subjects on levels 1 to 8, Life Orientation left out, but gives no table from percentages to those levels.
- UP and Stellenbosch. Their pages could not be opened on 4 November 2026.
- UJ after 2022. uj.ac.za could not be opened, and guide sites print conflicting UJ tables.
- UCT extras. Faculty weighting, NBT use and the Disadvantage Factor are not verified.
- Other universities, such as TUT, UWC, CPUT, NWU, UFS, NMU and CUT.
How APS is calculated FAQ
How do I calculate my APS for Unisa?
Turn each mark into its NSC level, leave out Life Orientation and add the levels of six 20-credit subjects. 80% or more is level 7, 70 to 79% is level 6, and so on down to level 1 for 0 to 29%.
Is APS always out of 42?
No. 42 is Unisa's highest APS. Wits counts seven subjects on its own table, and UCT adds percentages with no stated maximum.
Does Life Orientation count towards APS?
Not at Unisa, UJ (2022 rules) or UCT. Wits counts it, worth at most 4 points: 83% in Life Orientation adds 3.
What NSC level is 70%?
Level 6, which runs from 70 to 79%. Nuffic calls it Meritorious.
What APS do I need for a Bachelor pass?
None. A Bachelor pass is not an APS. It needs an NSC pass, 30% or more in the language of learning and teaching, and level 4 (50%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects.
Related tools and guides
- APS Calculator: Unisa, UJ, Wits and UCT scores and your NSC pass.
- NSC Levels and Grading Scale in South Africa: every NSC level and pass type.
- All tools for South Africa
- GradeCat home: grade and GPA tools for other countries.
Sources
- University of South Africa (Unisa): FAQs (Undergraduate qualifications) (opened 4 November 2026)
- University of Johannesburg (UJ): How to determine your Admission Point Score (APS), Undergraduate Prospectus 2022, page 15 (opened 4 November 2026)
- University of the Witwatersrand (Wits): Entry requirements (opened 4 November 2026)
- University of Cape Town (UCT): Eligibility for admission (opened 4 November 2026)
- Department of Basic Education (DBE): NSC Examinations (opened 4 November 2026)
- Nuffic: Grading and study results (South Africa) (opened 4 November 2026)
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN): Undergraduate Selection Procedure (opened 4 November 2026)
An APS worked out here is an estimate, not an official result. The university's own rules come first. Found a mistake? Tell us.