The objective of this post is to assist our readers with guidelines on how to calculate their Admission Point Score (APS) from their Matric statement of result. A student is required to achieve a minimum APS in order to be considered for admission into South African Universities or other higher education institutions. This Admission point score is calculated based on the marks obtained in some selected subjects from the Matric results and is often the first thing universities and colleges look out for during the admission process.
Required Subjects for Calculating APS Score
The Matric exams allow candidates to write up to seven (7) subjects which are made up of high credit and low credit subjects. Life Orientation is one of the lower credit subjects and often will not be counted when calculating your APS by most universities.
Subjects for Calculating Admission Point Score (APS)
The following are the subjects that count when calculating your Admission Point Score (APS)
Languages
- Afrikaans
- English
- IsiNdebele
- isiXhosa
- Isizulu
- Sepedi
- Sesotho
- Setswana
- Siswati
- Tshivenda
- Xitsonga
Non-Languages
- Accounting
- Agricultural Science
- Business Studies
- Consumer Studies
- Dramatic Arts
- Economics
- Engineering Graphics and Design
- Geography
- History
- Information Technology
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Mathematics Literacy
- Music
- Physical Sciences
- Religion Studies
- Visual Arts
Matric APS Scale
A candidate’s Admission Point Score (APS) depends on the mark obtained from a selected subject. Marks range from 0% – 100% with a point range of 1 – 7 allocated to each mark. The following scale outlines the Matric score and the corresponding point.
- 80% – 100% = 7 points
- 70% – 79% = 6 points
- 60% – 69% = 5 points
- 50% – 59% = 4 points
- 40% – 49% = 3 points
- 30% – 39% = 2 points
- 0% – 29% = 1 point
Read Also: How to Check Matric Results Online
How to Calculate APS Score
These guidelines will assist you with the steps on how to calculate your Admission Point Score (APS);
- Get a list of marks obtained from six high credit subjects. (Eg: Economic = 68%, Accounting= 56%… )
- Match the mark obtained from each subject to the corresponding point using the scale. (eg. Economics mark is 68% which corresponds to 5 points on the scale)
- Repeat the process in step 2 for all your best six (6) high subjects.
- Now add the points of your selected subjects to get your total Admission point score (APS)
Example of how to calculate your APS
If Alex obtained the following marks from his matric exams, then we can calculate his APS with the following steps;
Subjects
- Mathematics: 62% => 5 points
- English: 83% => 7 points
- Afrikaans: 71% => 6points
- Business Studies: 88% => 7 points
- Accounting: 56% => 4 points
- Economics: 68% => 5 points
APS = 5 + 7 + 6 + 7 + 4 + 5 = 34
Alex’s Admission Point Score (APS) is 34 out of a maximum score of 42 which is a good score.
Required APS for Universities and Colleges
Students who intend to study for a bachelor’s degree at any university in South Africa must obtain an APS of 21 or more. Admission requirements may vary from school to school depending on how competitive the admission process is.
Students are also required to obtain an APS of 18 points or more to be eligible to enroll in a diploma program and 15 points for a Higher Certificate.
Read Also: University of Cape Town Courses and Admission Requirements
