APS calculator

Turn your matric marks into an admission points score. Your university may count points differently.

Your subjects and final marks (%)

Enter your marks as percentages. The marks below are examples.

Your APS on the standard seven-point scale

29 out of 42

English Home Language
Level 5
Mathematics
Level 4
Physical Sciences
Level 5
Life Sciences
Level 5
Geography
Level 4
Accounting
Level 6
Life Orientation
Not counted

Universities work out APS in different ways, and an APS is not a guarantee of admission. Check the method and the programme requirements on each university’s own site.

Estimates only. Not financial advice.

How the APS calculator works

Last updated 10 November 2026

APS stands for admission points score. Many South African universities turn each matric mark into a level from 1 to 7 and add the levels of your best subjects. This calculator does that on the standard scale.

How it works

  • Each mark becomes a level: 80 to 100%: level 7; 70 to 79%: level 6; 60 to 69%: level 5; 50 to 59%: level 4; 40 to 49%: level 3; 30 to 39%: level 2; 0 to 29%: level 1.
  • The best 6 subjects are added, leaving out Life Orientation. With the switch on, the best 7 are added and Life Orientation can count.
  • The most you can score is 42 without Life Orientation and 49 with it.

Worked example

  1. The example marks give Accounting level 6, English Home Language level 5, Life Sciences level 5, Physical Sciences level 5, Geography level 4, Mathematics level 4.
  2. Added up, that is 29 out of 42.

Universities differ

This is the standard scale, not any one university’s rule. Stellenbosch says: Stellenbosch does not use an APS. It works out an average: the highest mark in the language of learning and teaching (English or Afrikaans) plus five times the best results in 20-credit subjects, leaving out Life Orientation, Advanced Mathematics, Mathematics 3 and any non-NSC subject, divided by six.

Wits says: Wits works out its APS from your best seven subjects including Life Orientation, and does not separate designated from non-designated subjects. Its scale differs from the standard seven-point scale.

Unisa says: Unisa works out an individual points score from your final Grade 12 marks and other factors, including the school attended and socio-economic group. The minimum APS differs by college and qualification.

What APS does not tell you

An APS is not an offer. Programmes ask for particular subjects and marks, some use extra tests or portfolios, and places are limited. We do not list cut-off scores because they change and differ by programme. Read them on the university’s admission requirements page.

Next steps

See the dates and fees on the university applications page, plan the costs with the application planner, and use the final mark calculator to see what you need in your exams.

Things to watch

  • Level boundaries are on the scale shown. A mark of 79.6 is level 6 here, because the whole percentage counts.
  • Always check the method on your university’s own site.

This is general information, not advice. The marks in the form are examples only.

Questions people ask

Does my APS guarantee a place?

No. Meeting a minimum APS only means you may be considered. Universities also look at specific subjects, programme requirements and how many places there are.

Do all universities use this scale?

No. Stellenbosch does not use an APS. It works out an average: the highest mark in the language of learning and teaching (English or Afrikaans) plus five times the best results in 20-credit subjects, leaving out Life Orientation, Advanced Mathematics, Mathematics 3 and any non-NSC subject, divided by six. Wits works out its APS from your best seven subjects including Life Orientation, and does not separate designated from non-designated subjects. Its scale differs from the standard seven-point scale. Unisa works out an individual points score from your final Grade 12 marks and other factors, including the school attended and socio-economic group. The minimum APS differs by college and qualification.

Is Life Orientation counted?

Many universities leave it out and some count it. The switch in the calculator lets you see both. Check your university’s own rule.

Next step

NSFAS application guideWhere to apply for NSFAS funding, with links to the official site and what universities say about the 2027 window.
University applications 2027: dates, fees and linksOpening and closing dates, application fees and official links for South Africa's public universities, read from their own sites.University application cost and deadline plannerTick the universities you may apply to and see the fees added up and the closing dates in order.Final mark calculatorYour marks so far as a share of the final mark, and what different exam marks would give.

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Estimates only. Not financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.