Published by NavyBlue Editorial Team
What is a good APS score in South Africa?
A good APS depends on the university, because they do not score out of the same total. Twelve universities score out of 42, Wits out of 54, Rhodes out of 60, Stellenbosch out of 100, and UCT and NMU out of 600. An APS of 30 is a solid score out of 42 and almost nothing out of 600.
As a rough guide at a university scoring out of 42: below 20 points to a higher certificate or a TVET route, the low to mid 20s opens diplomas, around 30 is the usual level for a general degree, and the high 30s and up is what competitive programmes like medicine and engineering ask for. Always check the programme, not just the university.
The same marks give you different APS scores
This is the part most guides leave out. Universities count different numbers of subjects, treat Life Orientation differently, and score out of different totals. Your seven subjects can produce several different APS scores depending on who is doing the counting.
| Scored out of | Universities |
|---|---|
| 40 | MUT |
| 42 | DUT, TUT, UJ, UL, UNISA, UP |
| 45.5 | UMP |
| 48 | NWU, UKZN, UniZulu, VUT, WSU |
| 49 | CUT, SMU, UFS |
| 52 | Fort Hare |
| 56 | SPU, Wits |
| 60 | CPUT, Rhodes, Univen |
| 65 | UWC |
| 100 | Stellenbosch |
| 600 | NMU, UCT |
Life Orientation is the other reason two universities disagree about your score. See how each university treats Life Orientation, or calculate your APS at all 26 at once.
Where most students actually land
Advice pages talk about aiming for 30 without saying how common that is. These are real scores from students using this calculator, so you can see where a number sits rather than guessing.
How an APS of 25 compares
of students scored lower than 25
is the middle score, so 25 sits exactly at it
programmes the typical student with APS 25 qualified for
Based on 22 332 students who used the NavyBlue APS calculator between June 2026 to November 2026, including 1 604 with an APS of exactly 25. Marks are entered by students and are not verified. This shows how you compare to other people using this calculator, not to all South African matrics: students who look up an APS calculator are more likely to be unsure whether they qualify.
Questions students ask about APS scores
Is 23 a good APS score?
At a university scoring out of 42, an APS of 23 is below the level most degrees ask for, but it is enough for many diplomas and higher certificates, and for a lot of programmes at universities of technology. It is not a dead end. Check the specific programme you want, because cutoffs differ far more between programmes than between universities.
Is 30 a good APS score?
At most South African universities, which score out of 42, an APS of 30 is around the level a general bachelor's degree asks for, so it opens a real choice of programmes. It is usually not enough for the most competitive ones such as medicine, actuarial science or engineering at the bigger universities, which often want the high 30s or more.
Is an APS the same as a bachelor's pass?
No, and mixing them up is common. A bachelor's pass is decided by your subject results against the NSC pass rules. Your APS is a points total universities use to rank applicants. You can earn a bachelor's pass and still miss a programme's APS cutoff, and a high APS does not by itself give you a bachelor's pass.
What is the highest APS score you can get?
It depends entirely on the university. Twelve South African universities score out of 42, Wits scores out of 54, Rhodes out of 60, Stellenbosch out of 100, and UCT and NMU use a percentage total out of 600. That is why a score only means something once you say which university it is for.
Does Life Orientation count towards your APS?
At most universities it does not count, or it is capped well below a normal subject. A few include it in full. Because it changes your total, the same seven subjects can produce different APS scores at different universities.
Related
Work out your own score
Calculate your APS, then see what it qualifies you for.
How to calculate your APS score | Step by step guide for SA universities
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