Which South African universities include Life Orientation in APS?
Most South African universities exclude Life Orientation from APS (UP, UCT, UJ, Stellenbosch, UKZN, NMU, TUT, DUT, NWU, CPUT and more). Wits and UWC include Life Orientation in a weighted 7 subject calculation. UFS, CUT, MUT, UFH, UMP, SMU and SPU partially count LO, usually as a bonus point or at a reduced weight. Stellenbosch uses a percentage aggregate instead of a traditional APS. Always verify against the 2027prospectus of your chosen university.
LO-in-APS master comparison table
Sorted by South African university ranking cluster. Tap any row for the full APS calculator.
| University | LO counts? | APS basis | Max APS | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UP Gauteng | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | UP APS → |
UCT Western Cape | No | Faculty Points Score (raw % sum, best 6, LO & LS excluded) | 600 | UCT APS → |
Wits Gauteng | Partial | Weighted best 7 (English + Maths bonus) | 56 | Wits APS → |
Stellenbosch Western Cape | Aggregate | Percentage average across best 6 (LO excluded) | 100 | Stellenbosch APS → |
UJ Gauteng | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | UJ APS → |
UKZN KwaZulu-Natal | No | Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded) | 48 | UKZN APS → |
UFS Free State | Partial | Six academic subjects on an 8 point ladder + 1 LO point | 49 | UFS APS → |
NWU North West | No | Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded) | 48 | NWU APS → |
Rhodes Eastern Cape | No | Best 6 × percentage/10 (LO excluded) | 60 | Rhodes APS → |
NMU Eastern Cape | No | Applicant Score (raw % sum, best 6) | 600 | NMU APS → |
UWC Western Cape | Partial | Weighted best 7 (English + Maths heavier) | 65 | UWC APS → |
Fort Hare Eastern Cape | Partial | All 7 subjects on an 8 point ladder, LO capped at 4 | 52 | Fort Hare APS → |
UL Limpopo | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | UL APS → |
Univen Limpopo | No | Best 6 × percentage/10 (LO excluded) | 60 | Univen APS → |
UNISA Gauteng | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | UNISA APS → |
UniZulu KwaZulu-Natal | No | Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded) | 48 | UniZulu APS → |
UMP Mpumalanga | Partial | All 7 subjects, Life Orientation halved | 45.5 | UMP APS → |
SPU Northern Cape | Partial | All 7 subjects, Home Language and Maths weighted | 56 | SPU APS → |
SMU Gauteng | Yes | Best 7 including LO | 49 | SMU APS → |
CPUT Western Cape | No | Percentage based best 6 (LO usually excluded) | 60 | CPUT APS → |
DUT KwaZulu-Natal | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | DUT APS → |
TUT Gauteng | No | Standard best 6 (LO excluded) | 42 | TUT APS → |
VUT Gauteng | No | Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded) | 48 | VUT APS → |
CUT Free State | Partial | Six academic subjects on an 8 point ladder + 1 LO point | 49 | CUT APS → |
MUT KwaZulu-Natal | No | Best 5 only (LO excluded), 90%+ scores 8 | 40 | MUT APS → |
WSU Eastern Cape | No | Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded; Education varies) | 48 | WSU APS → |
Per-university answers
Direct answers for common “does [university] count Life Orientation” questions.
Does UP include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate UP APS →Does UCT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded.
APS method: Faculty Points Score (raw % sum, best 6, LO & LS excluded). Max APS: 600.
Calculate UCT APS →Does Wits include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation is included, but at a lower weighting than the main academic subjects.
APS method: Weighted best 7 (English + Maths bonus). Max APS: 56.
Calculate Wits APS →Does Stellenbosch include Life Orientation in APS?
Not traditionally. Life Orientation is excluded. Uses percentage aggregate, not traditional APS.
APS method: Percentage average across best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 100.
Calculate Stellenbosch APS →Does UJ include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate UJ APS →Does UKZN include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded). Max APS: 48.
Calculate UKZN APS →Does UFS include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation adds exactly 1 point from 60% (Level 5), however high the mark.
APS method: Six academic subjects on an 8 point ladder + 1 LO point. Max APS: 49.
Calculate UFS APS →Does NWU include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded). Max APS: 48.
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Does Rhodes include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded.
APS method: Best 6 × percentage/10 (LO excluded). Max APS: 60.
Calculate Rhodes APS →Does NMU include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core total, but some applicants can receive an LO equity bonus.
APS method: Applicant Score (raw % sum, best 6). Max APS: 600.
Calculate NMU APS →Does UWC include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation is included, but at a lower capped value than the core academic subjects.
APS method: Weighted best 7 (English + Maths heavier). Max APS: 65.
Calculate UWC APS →Does Fort Hare include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation counts but is capped at 4 points: even 70% in LO scores 4, not 6.
APS method: All 7 subjects on an 8 point ladder, LO capped at 4. Max APS: 52.
Calculate Fort Hare APS →Does UL include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate UL APS →Does Univen include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded. Univen divides each percentage by 10 rather than using 1 to 7 bands, and scores nothing below 40%.
APS method: Best 6 × percentage/10 (LO excluded). Max APS: 60.
Calculate Univen APS →Does UNISA include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate UNISA APS →Does UniZulu include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded). Max APS: 48.
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Does UMP include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation counts at half its level: a level 5 is worth 2.5 points, not 5.
APS method: All 7 subjects, Life Orientation halved. Max APS: 45.5.
Calculate UMP APS →Does SPU include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation is included on a capped scale rather than as a full subject value.
APS method: All 7 subjects, Home Language and Maths weighted. Max APS: 56.
Calculate SPU APS →Does SMU include Life Orientation in APS?
Yes. Life Orientation is included.
APS method: Best 7 including LO. Max APS: 49.
Calculate SMU APS →Does CPUT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is usually excluded.
APS method: Percentage based best 6 (LO usually excluded). Max APS: 60.
Calculate CPUT APS →Does DUT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate DUT APS →Does TUT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Standard best 6 (LO excluded). Max APS: 42.
Calculate TUT APS →Does VUT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded from the core APS total.
APS method: Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded). Max APS: 48.
Calculate VUT APS →Does CUT include Life Orientation in APS?
Partially. Life Orientation is worth exactly 1 point from 50%, however high the mark.
APS method: Six academic subjects on an 8 point ladder + 1 LO point. Max APS: 49.
Calculate CUT APS →Does MUT include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is excluded entirely. MUT also counts only your best 5 subjects, not 6.
APS method: Best 5 only (LO excluded), 90%+ scores 8. Max APS: 40.
Calculate MUT APS →Does WSU include Life Orientation in APS?
No. Life Orientation is usually excluded, but some education programmes can switch to a broader 7 subject view.
APS method: Best 6 on an 8 point ladder (LO excluded; Education varies). Max APS: 48.
Calculate WSU APS →Want the full reasoning behind each rule?
Read the long form guide Does Life Orientation count for APS? for per-university explanations, FAQ answers and how each university's rule fits into your application strategy.
Key takeaways
- Most SA universities exclude LO, but the APS ceiling, subject count, and weighting all differ by institution.
- Including LO (Wits, UWC) effectively raises your usable subject count from 6 to 7. That can help or hurt depending on your LO mark.
- Partial inclusion (UFS, CUT, MUT, UFH, UMP) typically adds 1 bonus point or counts LO at half weight, which is small but useful at the margins.
- Stellenbosch no longer uses traditional APS. It's a percentage aggregate across best 6 subjects (LO excluded).
- UCT uses the Faculty Points Score (FPS) out of 600. LO is always excluded, and marks below 40% score 0.
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