How To Calculate APS Score

How to Calculate APS Score: A Complete Guide

Understanding how to calculate APS score is a must for every South African student who completes Matric. Getting into University, University of Technology or TVET Colleges has become a very competitive exercise in South Africa. It has become a game of APS score and number for a number of reasons. Matric learners who have want to be accepted by institutions of higher learning must be ready to fight for a seat. The demand for space at university is ever growing and there are enough universities that can accept all students who pass Matric.

South Africa has not invested enough in building new universities over the past few year. The population is growing and more Matriculants complete Grade 12 every year. Institutions of higher learning have all adopted the APS score as a tool to determine who gets accepted.

The Admission Point Score (APS) is very crucial in determining your eligibility for tertiary education in South Africa. Below we discuss how you can calculate your APS score. We have also included a list of courses you can take for each score.

How To Calculate Your APS Score

Before you can start to calculate it, you must first prepare a list of all your subjects. These are your Matric subjects and the percentages you scored during your final exams. Here are steps you must follow to calculate your score:

Step 1: List all your Matric subjects

Prepare a list of your Matric subjects with the exclusion of Life Orientation because it does not count. This means that you are working with only 6 Matric subjects

Step 2: Convert Your Grades to Points

Step 3: Add All Points

The last step to calculate APS score is to add all your points and produce your final score which is what we call APS score.

APS Scores and Suitable Qualifications

Let us take a look at what your points or APS score allows you to study at tertiary. Below is the qualification type vs the number of points that allow you into the qualification:

National Higher Certificate – 15 to 17 APS score

National Diploma – 18 to 20 APS score

Bachelor’s Degree (non – competitive – 21 to 23 APS score

Bachelor’s Degree (moderately competitive) – 25 to 26 APS score

Bachelor’s Degree (highly competitive) – 27 to 30+ APS score

List of Subjects Needed For APS Score

There are two main groups of subjects that contribute to your APS score. It is critally important that you know about these while you study hard to pass your Matric. These groups consist of compulsory and additional subjects and here they are:

1. Compulsory Subjects

To calculate your APS score, certain subjects are mandatory:

• Mathematics and Maths Literacy
• Home language subjects – these are IsiZulu, SiSwati, Sepedi, IsiNdebele, IsiZulu, Sesotho, Setswana, Tshivenda, Xitsong, English and Afrikaans
• First Additional Language – select any official language from the same list.

2. Elective or Additional Subjects

Elective subjects include IT, Business Studies, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences with the exclusion of Life Orientation.

Which Courses Can I do With 15 APS Score?

Students who scored a 15 APS in South Africa are able to apply for courses which are under the category of Higher Certificate programs. These are the basic level courses aimed at giving a basic understanding of the courses. Here are some examples of courses that may be available:

• Higher Certificate: Business Management
• Higher Certificate in Information Technology
• A Higher Certificate in Tourism and Hospitality.
• Higher Certificate in Marketing asmart unanswered marketing strategy tool.
• Higher Certificate in Office Administrationrices/ Higher Certificate in Office Administration
• South African Higher Certificate in Human Resources Management

The above list is not exhaustive as there may be many other courses for 15 to 17 APS score offered by colleges in South Africa.

Which Courses Can I do With 18 APS Score?

Below are few examples of courses you can be able to enrol for with 18 to 19 APS score:

• Diploma in Agriculture
• Diploma in Early Childhood Development
• Diploma in Graphic Design
• Diploma in Building and Construction
• Diploma in Human Resource Management
• Diploma in Event Management
• Diploma in Public Relations
• Diploma in Fashion Design
• Diploma in Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Which Courses Can I do With 20 APS Score and Above?

Below are examples of courses that can be registered for with 20 APS score:

Humanities and Social Sciences Courses

1. Bachelor of Arts (20 APS Score)
2. Bachelor of Social Work (20 APS Score)
3. Bachelor of Psychology (20 APS Score)
4. Bachelor of Sociology (20 APS Score)
5. Bachelor of Education (20 APS Score)

Business and Commerce Courses

1. Bachelor of Commerce (20 APS Score)
2. Bachelor of Business Administration (20 APS Score)
3. Bachelor of Economics (20 APS Score)
4. Bachelor of Management (20 APS Score)
5. Bachelor of Marketing (20 APS Score)

Science and Technology Courses

1. Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (20 APS Score)
2. Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (20 APS Score)
3. Bachelor of Environmental Science (20 APS Score)
4. Bachelor of Biotechnology (20 APS Score)
5. Bachelor of Agricultural Management (20 APS Score)

Other Courses

1. Diploma in Human Resource Management (20 APS Score)
2. Diploma in Marketing Management (20 APS Score)
3. Diploma in Information Technology (20 APS Score)
4. Diploma in Business Management (20 APS Score)
5. Certificate in Entrepreneurship (20 APS Score)

Please note that the above are just examples and the list is not exhaustive.

How To Calculate APS Score: FAQ

1. Can I calculate my APS score online?
   There is a number of online tools you can use to calculate your APS score. Most of these are embedded in various educational website include those of institutions of higher learning.
2. What is the minimum APS score for a Bachelor’s degree in South Africa?
   Generally, you will need to score 21 or more to be accepted for a degree in South Africa for different study programs.
3. Is Life Orientation included when counting the APS score?
   No, Life Orientation does not get included in the list of subject that compose your score.
4. Are there courses for APS score lower than 15 in South Africa?
   Students who score below 15 do not qualify for a diploma or degree program, but there are training courses that accommodate points below 15.
5. Is Maths always a requirement for all courses?
   Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy is only required for certain qualifications but not all of them. There is a host of program that do not required Maths or Maths Literacy.

Best APS Score for Bursaries In South Africa

There is a host of bursaries that are offered by various companies and organisations in South Africa. The main requirement for all of them is that you pass your Matric with a good APS score. A good APS score secures you a space to study in tertiary institutions.

The biggest dilema some students face is to apply for a bursary and get accepted only to pass Matric with a very low score. This becomes a issue because bursaries expect that you pass with a score that decides whether you are going to for a Diploma or a Degree.