The APS requirement you will need to meet depends on the university you want to attend and what course you would like to study. Each university will have their own requirements, and different courses may have specific subject requirements.
Make sure you check with the university you are applying to about any additional or specific requirements of the course you want to study.
Many universities will also have their own APS calculators on their websites. You can use that if you would like to check if you meet their requirements. It can also be difficult to find the requirements for different universities, so here is a list of the top universities in South Africa:
- APS Requirements for the University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- APS Requirements for Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
- APS Requirements for the University of South Africa (UNISA) were unavailable at the time of writing, but to find more details you can contact the university directly
- APS Requirements for the University of Witwatersrand (Wits)
- APS Requirements for North-West University (NWU)
- APS Requirements for the University of the Western Cape (UWC)
- APS Requirements for the University of Cape Town (UCT)
- APS Requirements for the University of Stellenbosch (US)
Matric Passing Levels And Their Requirements
There are general requirements that you can aim for, which are determined by the four Matric passing levels. Each passing level has both subject requirements and an APS requirement. They are as follows:
Pass Level | Requirements | APS Requirement |
Bachelor’s Degree pass |
| 23 |
Diploma pass |
| 19 |
Higher Certificate pass |
| 15 |
NSC pass/Matric pass |
| 14 |
How Do You Calculate APS?
Your APS is calculated using your Matric final marks. There are percentage brackets that are each allocated a number of points.
You can find which percentage brackets the marks for each of your subjects fall under, and use this to see how many points you have for each subject. The point allocation is as follows:
Percentage Bracket | Point Allocation |
80% – 100% | 7 |
70% – 79% | 6 |
60% – 69% | 5 |
50% – 59% | 4 |
40% – 49% | 3 |
30% – 39% | 2 |
0% – 29% | 1 |
Once you have the number of points for each subject, you can add them up to get your total APS. Note that Life Orientation does not count for your APS.
You can also use an online calculator to find your APS, but remember to enter your Life Orientation in the single point bracket no matter what your actual marks were.
Which Subjects Count For APS?
The subjects that count towards your APS are as follows:
Accounting | Agricultural Management Practices |
Agricultural Sciences | Agricultural Technology |
Business Studies | Civil Technology |
Computer Applications Technology | Consumer Studies |
Dance Studies | Dramatic Arts |
Economics | Electrical Technology |
Engineering Graphics and Design | Geography |
History | Hospitality Studies |
Information Technology | Life Sciences |
Mathematics | Mathematical Literacy |
Mechanical Technology | Music |
Physical Sciences | Religion studies |
Tourism | Visual Arts |
Your Home Language and First Additional Language will also count towards your APS.
What Is The Highest APS?
The highest APS you can achieve is 42. This is because the highest number of points you can achieve for a subject is 7, and your marks are calculated using six subjects.
What Is The Minimum APS?
The minimum APS required to pass Matric is 14. There are also minimum subject requirements to pass Matric, which are:
- 40% or above for your Home Language subject
- 40% or above for two other subjects
- 30% or above for three other subjects
You may fail one of the subjects you should achieve 30% for. However, you cannot fail your Home Language subject.
What Have We Learned?
- Different universities have different APS and subject requirements, but you can use general requirements to get a good idea of what you should aim to achieve.
- You can calculate your APS yourself, or you can use an online calculator
- Life Orientation does not count for your APS
- The highest APS you can achieve is 42
- The minimum APS to pass Matric is 14
Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Razeen Dollie
Date: July 13, 2022