APS Points Per Subject: How Each Matric Mark Is Scored
See how many APS points each matric mark earns, which subjects count, and why UJ, Wits, WSU and UCT score your results differently. Includes a worked example.
Most South African universities turn each matric subject percentage into a single number from 1 to 7, and then add up your six best subjects. A mark of 80–100% earns 7 points, 70–79% earns 6, 60–69% earns 5, 50–59% earns 4, 40–49% earns 3, 30–39% earns 2 and 0–29% earns 1. That is the table the University of Johannesburg uses for NSC and IEB results. It is also the scale most students mean when they say “APS”. But it is not the only one, and the differences can move you up or down a whole faculty.
This guide gives you the points for every band, a worked example with real-looking marks, the rules on Life Orientation, and the places where individual universities depart from the standard scale.
TL;DR
- On the common seven-point scale, 80–100% = 7, 70–79% = 6, 60–69% = 5, 50–59% = 4, 40–49% = 3, 30–39% = 2 and 0–29% = 1.
- Your APS is usually the total of your six best subjects, which gives a maximum of 42 on that scale.
- Life Orientation is excluded at UJ, but Wits counts it on a smaller scale, so check each university.
- Some institutions use their own method: Walter Sisulu University awards up to 8 points, and UCT uses your actual percentages.
- Meeting a programme’s minimum APS never guarantees a place, so aim for a buffer above the minimum.
Table of Contents
- The standard APS table, band by band
- How to calculate your total APS
- Which subjects count, and what about Life Orientation?
- When the scale is not 1 to 7
- Why minimum marks per subject matter as much as the total
- Meeting the minimum is not a guarantee
- See what your marks qualify for
- Practical ways to raise your points
- FAQ
- Sources
The standard APS table, band by band
APS stands for Admission Point Score. UJ describes it as a rating system developed for the NSC and IEB, built on the achievement rating of each subject. Every percentage on your report falls into one band, and every band carries a fixed number of points.
| Subject mark | Achievement level | APS points |
|---|---|---|
| 80–100% | 7 | 7 |
| 70–79% | 6 | 6 |
| 60–69% | 5 | 5 |
| 50–59% | 4 | 4 |
| 40–49% | 3 | 3 |
| 30–39% | 2 | 2 |
| 0–29% | 1 | 1 |
The points depend only on the band. A 79% and a 70% both earn 6 points, and an 80% and a 98% both earn 7. This is why one extra percentage point on a borderline mark, such as moving from 69% to 70%, can be worth a full APS point, while a jump from 72% to 78% changes nothing.
How to calculate your total APS
Under the UJ method, you add the achievement ratings of your six best school subjects, leaving out Life Orientation. The six subjects must also include the ones your chosen programme requires. UJ states that the six best subjects, excluding Life Orientation, must include the programme’s required subjects. So if a degree demands Mathematics, your Mathematics mark goes into the six even if another subject scored higher.
With seven subjects at 7 points the ceiling is not 49, because Life Orientation is left out and only six subjects count. Six subjects at 7 points each gives a maximum of 42.
A worked example
Take a learner with these final marks:
| Subject | Mark | APS points |
|---|---|---|
| English Home Language | 68% | 5 |
| Mathematics | 74% | 6 |
| Physical Sciences | 71% | 6 |
| Life Sciences | 62% | 5 |
| Geography | 58% | 4 |
| Afrikaans First Additional Language | 55% | 4 |
| Life Orientation | 80% | not counted at UJ |
Six counted subjects: 5 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 4 = 30. That is an APS of 30 on the standard scale. If the learner lifted Geography from 58% to 60%, the total would rise to 31 with a single band change. Lifting Mathematics from 74% to 78% would change nothing at all.
The quickest way to see what a total like that opens up is to run it against real programmes. Our guide on how to find courses with your marks shows how.
Which subjects count, and what about Life Orientation?
This is where universities genuinely differ.
- UJ calculates APS from six school subjects and does not count Life Orientation.
- Wits bases its score on the best seven subjects, including Life Orientation. Wits scales Life Orientation down, so a mark of 90–100% earns 4 points rather than 7. English and Mathematics can earn additional points.
- Walter Sisulu University (WSU) requires two languages, a Home Language and a First Additional Language, within its six-subject calculation.
The practical lesson: do not assume your Life Orientation mark is either wasted or vital. At some institutions it adds nothing, at others it adds a few points. Always read the admission page of the specific university before you finalise a total.
Our breakdown of what 30, 34 and 44+ APS gets you at Wits and the guide to APS requirements at UJ show how those two scoring systems play out in practice.
When the scale is not 1 to 7
Walter Sisulu University: up to 8 points
WSU’s 2027 conversion table for NSC results awards up to 8 points for marks of 90–100%. That means a total from WSU is not directly comparable with a total worked out on the 7-point scale. If you have a 92% in one subject, it is worth one more point at WSU than at UJ. Never copy a number from one university’s calculator into another university’s requirement.
UCT: your percentages are the points
The University of Cape Town does not use bands. Under its 2027 NSC guidelines, each percentage contributes the same number of points as the percentage itself. The six best subjects are added, excluding Life Orientation and Advanced Programme subjects, and English and the required subjects must be included. A result below 40% in a subject earns no points.
Using our earlier learner, UCT’s method would add 68 + 74 + 71 + 62 + 58 + 55 = 388, rather than 30. The two numbers cannot be compared, and a 30 is not a “low” score just because UCT’s totals look larger. Once you have your total, tips to improve your college application can help you think about what else strengthens a file beyond marks.
Quick comparison
| University | Scale | Life Orientation | Subjects counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| UJ | 1 to 7 per subject | Excluded | Six best, including required subjects |
| Wits | Banded points, with a smaller scale for Life Orientation | Counted, 90–100% earns 4 points | Best seven |
| WSU | Up to 8 points per subject | See the WSU admission brochure | Six, including two languages |
| UCT | Percentage equals points | Excluded | Six best, including English and required subjects |
Why minimum marks per subject matter as much as the total
A total APS is only half of an admission requirement. Most programmes also set minimum percentages in specific subjects. At UCT, results below 40% in any subject do not attract an admission score. Faculties then add their own subject thresholds on top of the total.
The Wits MBChB shows how far this can go. Applicants need English at 65% or more, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at 70% or more, and the next three best subjects at 70% or more, and NBTs are required. The faculty also publishes score thresholds on its own scale. A high total on its own does not satisfy rules like these. If you are aiming for health sciences, our guide to medicine entry requirements walks through the usual subject minimums, and the article on minimum subject percentages for university covers the rest.
Meeting the minimum is not a guarantee
The University of Limpopo states plainly that meeting a programme’s minimum APS does not guarantee admission. Popular programmes receive more qualifying applicants than they have places, so selection can rank applicants above the minimum. Think of the published figure as the door to be considered, not a reserved seat.
In practice, this suggests a simple habit: aim for a buffer of one or two points above the stated minimum, and apply to more than one programme at more than one institution. Teaching, for example, covers a wide APS range, which our teaching entry requirements guide sets out.
Our view: your marks are yours
We built AskSmarty around a simple frustration: students should be able to find out where they qualify without handing over their results. Your marks are some of the most personal numbers you own at this stage of life, yet many application routes ask for them before telling you anything useful.
That is why our calculator and course matching work on your own device. Your marks never leave it. There is no account, no fee and no processing step, and we are independent, so no university’s marketing shapes what you see. We reference the requirements to official sources and keep deadlines and application fee details up to date.
Because every university scores differently, we think the honest way to answer “how many points am I worth?” is to calculate it for each institution and check the result against real programme requirements. Doing that by hand across 1,700 programmes is not realistic, which is exactly the job our tools are meant to do.
Nkosi
See what your marks qualify for
Once you know your points per subject, the next question is which programmes fit your total. AskSmarty is a free, independent guide with an APS calculator and a searchable national database of over 1,700 university and college programmes, showing entry requirements, deadlines and application fee details. A career-interest quiz helps match courses to what you enjoy, and we link to the official portals where you submit applications. We do not take applications or charge you anything.
Start on the AskSmarty home page and enter your marks to see matching programmes. They stay on your device.
Practical ways to raise your points
Because points move in bands, effort is best spent where a band is within reach.
- Find your near-misses. A subject at 68% is one or two percentage points from a full extra APS point. A subject at 74% is far from the next band.
- Protect the required subjects. If your target programme demands Mathematics or Physical Sciences, those marks go into the six whatever else you score.
- Check how your target institution treats Life Orientation. It may count at some institutions, so a strong result there can be useful.
- Do not chase the wrong scale. A number from a WSU or UCT table will not match a UJ-style total. Calculate on each institution’s own method.
- Plan a buffer. Apply to programmes both at and slightly below your total, and keep a safer option in the mix.
When you are weighing particular fields, our pages on human resource management, architecture and psychology show the typical APS and subject requirements.
FAQ
How many APS points is 70% worth?
On the common seven-point scale, a mark of 70–79% earns 6 points. At UCT the points are simply the percentage, so 70% counts as 70. At WSU, which awards up to 8 points, check the WSU conversion table for the exact band.
What is the highest APS you can get?
On the seven-point scale with six counted subjects, the maximum is 42, which means 80% or more in all six. Other institutions have different ceilings. WSU’s table goes up to 8 points per subject, and UCT’s method adds percentages, so its totals are much larger.
Does Life Orientation count towards APS?
It depends on the university. UJ and UCT exclude it from the calculation, while Wits counts it on a smaller scale, where 90–100% earns 4 points. Read the admission rules of every institution you apply to.
Is my APS enough to get into a course?
Not automatically. A programme’s minimum APS is the entry point, and subject-specific minimums apply as well. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee a place, so apply to several programmes and aim for a buffer above the requirement.
Sources
- How to determine your Admission Point Score (APS), University of Johannesburg
- UJ Undergraduate Prospectus 2022, APS page
- How to calculate an APS? University of Johannesburg
- Entry requirements, Wits University
- 2027 Undergraduate admission requirements, Walter Sisulu University
- Guidelines for admission for holders of National Senior Certificates, UCT 2027
- Undergraduate Studies, University of Limpopo
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Published 2026-11-03 · AskSmarty is an independent guide. Confirm anything time-sensitive on the official source.