What is Admission Point Score?
Admission Point Score (APS) is the basis universities use to decide wherever or not you are fit to study a particular course. Colleges use it to know if they will accept your application or not. Admission Point Score is the average of your matric marks. The marks are converted to points that fall below 10. After summing individual points, the total point forms your APS. The highest APS score is 42, and it is attainable.
Why is your APS important?
Your APS is important because sir contributes to a major decision in your life. Your APS determines if you will study Human Resources or Law. It is what universities consider when assessing your strengths and ability to study a course. You have to understand that universities have diverse APS that they consider acceptable for a course.
For example, University A may require a higher APS to study engineering compared to University B. Generally; universities use your final Matric results to calculate your APS. Students with very high APS may get accepted in multiple universities to study their choice program. On the contrary, those with low APS may have difficulty finding a school that will let them study their programme of choice. Additionally, APS enables administrators to reduce their workload during admission.
How do you get your APS?
You can get your APS through your final Matric exam results. Get hold of your certificate to know your results. Your APS is based on your score in 6 National Certificate subjects that are recognized. These subjects include:
- Agricultural Science
- Geography
- Consumer Studies
- Accounting
- Life Sciences
- Dramatic Arts
- Mathematical Literacy
- Business Studies
- Mathematics
- History
- Information Technology
- Languages
- Religion Studies
- Engineering Graphics and Design
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Economics
- Physical Science
You cannot use subjects like Life Orientation and CAT to calculate your APS. Here is how it works.
- Your matric results are presented in the form of percentages or symbols. Additionally, you get a point for each subject in your matric results, depending on your percentage.
Score between 80% – 100% your APS is 7
Score between 70% – 79% your APS is 6
Score between 60% – 69% your APS is 5
Score between 50% – 59% your APS is 4
Score between 40% – 49% your APS is 3
Score between 30% – 39% your APS is 2
Score between 20% – 29% your APS is 1
- Sum your APS for every subject to form your total APS. This is the value universities will use to access the programme you are fit to enrol in.
- You need a minimum APS of 15 points to enrol in a Higher Certificate programme.
- You need a minimum APS of 18 points to enrol in a Diploma programme.
- Bachelors programmes generally require a minimum APS of 21 points.
Universities: Admission Point Score (APS) Calculation
Universities calculate your Admission Point Score Based on their unique formula. The minimum APS that each university considers acceptable for a programme différés from other universities. Furthermore, while some universities only consider National Certificate subjects that are recognized, other universities don’t have such specificity.
What to do once you know your APS
You can check the APS that your chosen university requires for the programme you want to study. You should do this early so that you know your stand. If you are not eligible for one university, look for other universities where your APS is acceptable for that programme. However, if you have an APS that is below the bare minimum, you can rewrite your matric exam. Then use your results to apply to your university of choice the following year.
Scholarships and Bursaries
First-year South African students who have excellent APS scores are eligible for scholarships. They can benefit from a discount of up to R40,000 on their tuition fees. These students may also get academic merit awards from universities. Universities use the final Grade 12 result to calculate the bursary for which you are eligible.
Students generally do have to apply for merit-based awards. Despite setting aside an amount to cover the cost of scholarships or bursaries, each faculty still has different requirements. This means that you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship with your APS score in one faculty but ineligible in another faculty with the same score. Additionally, some universities consider formerly disadvantaged students who were high performers for scholarships.
Also Read: Tshwane University of Technology TUT Online Application
Note
Please note that universities have other entry requirements asides your APS. Some of these requirements are specific to your chosen programme. Additionally, having the minimum APS is not advisable. This is because getting into most universities is competitive. There are only limited spaces, and having a more than average APS can increase your chances of getting admitted. Remember, you are not the only one seeking admission to study that programme.
