Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Plain-language answers about marks, the NBT, applying and money. Each paragraph is tagged so you can see how sure we are.
Checked we read the official page · From our research from our research, source cited · Not from an official source common knowledge we couldn’t source – check it yourself.
Marks & APS
What is an APS, and is it the same at every university?From our research
APS stands for Admission Point Score: a number a university works out from your marks to decide whether you meet its entry requirements. It is not the same at every university - each one counts different subjects in a different way, so a score from one university means nothing at another.
A few examples. UCT adds your six best subject percentages (English is always counted; anything under 40% scores nothing). Wits uses a points scale where English and Maths get a bonus and Life Orientation counts a little. UP adds the levels (1 to 7) of your six best subjects and leaves out Life Orientation. Stellenbosch uses your average percentage and no APS at all. Rhodes adds your six subjects’ percentages and divides by 10.
That is why Studypath works out a separate score for each university from the same marks, and never shows you one "APS".
Where to check this yourself
- The "how to calculate your APS" page on the university’s own admissions site
Is UCT’s score out of 600, 800 or 900?From our research
It depends on the faculty. For Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Humanities and Law your Faculty Points Score (FPS) is out of 600 and equals your APS. For Science it is out of 800 (your Maths and Physical Sciences are counted twice). For Health Sciences it is out of 900 (your APS plus your NBT results).
A worked example from UCT’s own guidelines: English 75, isiXhosa 70, Maths 84, Physical Sciences 86, CAT 79 and Sports & Exercise Science 69 give a Commerce/Engineering/Humanities/Law FPS of 463/600, and for Science the same marks give 633/800. Studypath reproduces both numbers.
Where to check this yourself
Does Life Orientation count towards my APS?From our research
It depends on the university. UCT, UP, UJ, UKZN, NWU and Stellenbosch leave it out of the score. Wits counts it, but only for a little: 4, 3, 2 or 1 point for 90, 80, 70 or 60% and up. UFS gives 1 point for 60% or more. UWC gives 0 to 3 points. Rhodes does not score it but you must get at least 50% for acceptance.
Even where it does not count, most universities still expect you to pass it, so do not ignore it.
Where to check this yourself
- The "admission requirements" page of the university you are applying to
What are achievement levels (1 to 7)?From our research
Your percentage in each subject is turned into an NSC achievement level from 1 to 7: 7 = 80-100%, 6 = 70-79%, 5 = 60-69%, 4 = 50-59%, 3 = 40-49%, 2 = 30-39%, 1 = 0-29%. When a university asks for "Maths level 6" it means 70% or more.
A few universities (Wits, UKZN, NWU, UWC and UFS) split the top band so that 90-100% is level 8 and 80-89% is level 7.
What is the difference between Home Language and First Additional Language?From our research
Your Home Language is the language subject you study at the higher level; your First Additional Language is the second language subject, studied at a lower level. Every NSC learner takes both.
Because the First Additional Language is the easier subject, universities often ask for a higher mark in it. For example, UCT Commerce asks for English Home Language 50% or English First Additional Language 60%.
Where to check this yourself
- Your school’s subject-choice or guidance teacher
- Department of Basic Education (education.gov.za) (opens the official page)
If I meet the minimum requirements, will I get a place?From our research
No. Rhodes says plainly: "obtaining the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance." UWC’s own calculator adds that faculties "may select at higher point scores and subject levels than the published minimums."
Many degrees are selection programmes: the university has more qualified applicants than places, so it picks the strongest. Stellenbosch, for example, says its real selection threshold is higher than the published minimum. Studypath marks these with a "Selection programme" badge.
Which marks do I use - Grade 11 or Grade 12?From our research
If you are in Grade 12, universities use your final Grade 11 results to decide on your application, and your final NSC results decide the final offer. UP says so directly, and UCT counts Grade 11 final, Grade 12 preliminary and Grade 12 final marks.
So apply in Grade 12 using your Grade 11 finals, and check each programme’s own closing date.
I took Maths Literacy (or Technical Maths). Can I still get into a programme?From our research
Often yes, but usually with a higher APS. For example, UJ’s BA in Communication Design needs APS 25 with Mathematics or 26 with Mathematical Literacy, and its Diploma in Accountancy needs 22 with Mathematics or Technical Mathematics and 24 with Mathematical Literacy. CPUT’s Diploma in Environmental Management asks for APS 28 with Mathematics, 29 with Technical Mathematics or 30 with Mathematical Literacy.
Many science, engineering and health programmes do not accept Mathematical Literacy at all. UJ’s Faculty of Science states that Technical Mathematics and Technical Science are not accepted for its degrees, UniZulu says Mathematical Literacy is not accepted for direct BSc entry, and UCT’s engineering degrees do not count Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics as Mathematics.
If you are still in Grade 9 or 10, choosing Mathematics rather than Mathematical Literacy keeps far more programmes open, even if your Mathematics mark is modest.
Where to check this yourself
The NBT
What is the NBT?From our research
The National Benchmark Tests "measure your academic readiness for University." There are two tests. The AQL (Academic and Quantitative Literacy) is written by applicants to all programmes that require the NBT. The MAT (Mathematics) is for programmes where Mathematics is a requirement. Each is multiple-choice and takes three hours.
They are written on the same day - the NBT Project does not let you write the AQL one day and the MAT another - and the MAT cannot be written on its own.
Where to check this yourself
Which universities and faculties require the NBT?From our research
It is set by each university and each faculty, not nationally. Stellenbosch does not require it for 2027 except for Law programmes, the School for Tomorrow, AHSD and online-school applicants: LLB needs the AQL, and BCom (Law) and BAccLLB need the AQL and MAT, all written before 31 July.
UCT requires it for South African resident applicants and for all Health Sciences and Commerce applicants. UCT Engineering & the Built Environment makes you write all three parts but says the results "are not taken into account for admission".
Wits requires it for all Health Sciences and Science applicants, and Health Sciences applicants must write in person.
Rhodes "recommended[s] that all first-time university-entering South African applicants write the NBT". If you do not meet the automatic entry requirements, your results feed into the Dean’s decision. Everyone should write the AQL; the MAT is for Commerce, Pharmacy and Science applicants.
At UP’s Faculty of Humanities, a Grade 11 APS of 26-29 means you must write the NBT, and your result can place you in the BA Extended programme; the NBT is not required for all selection degrees.
Websites that say "most universities require the NBT" are too vague to rely on: always check the faculty page of the degree you want.
Where to check this yourself
- The admission-requirements page for your degree at the university
- The NBT Project (opens the official page)
When can I write the NBT, and can I write it again?From our research
"The NBTs are available from May until the first Saturday in January." You book a date and venue on nbt.ac.za and can change the booking until that sitting’s closing date.
You may write the NBT twice within a cycle, but you pay the full fee both times. Not every university will accept a second score, so ask before you rewrite.
Universities set their own deadline for receiving your results, and these can be as early as June or July. UCT says you do not need to rewrite if your NBTs were written in the last three years.
Where to check this yourself
How much does the NBT cost?From our research
For the current test cycle, the NBT costs R195 to write the AQL on its own, or R390 to write the AQL and MAT together. Fees are paid through Lesaka EasyPay; international applicants, and those in countries bordering South Africa without EasyPay facilities, pay by EFT or direct deposit to the NBT Project's Standard Bank (UCT) account instead. A re-mark costs extra; a make-up test after a hospital or police report is free.
We have not found an official page stating whether this fee is waived for NSFAS-qualifying learners - some bursary and school-guidance sites claim it is, but we are not going to repeat that without seeing it on nbt.ac.za ourselves. Ask when you book.
Where to check this yourself
Applying
When do applications open and close?From our research
It varies a lot. For the 2027 intake, for example, UFS closes its health programmes on 31 May, Nursing, Social Work and Architecture on 31 July, and everything else on 30 September. UKZN closes Medicine on 30 June and most other colleges on 30 September. Rhodes ran applications from 1 April to 30 September.
Others closing later include WSU, UFH and SPU (31 October) and UMP (30 November).
Selection programmes such as Medicine and Dentistry usually close earlier than the rest - UFS, UKZN and Wits above all close their health programmes in May or June.
Most of these dates have now passed for the 2027 intake. The 2028 dates have not been published, so do not assume they will match - check each university from early next year.
Where to check this yourself
What if I do not meet the requirements?From our research
There are options. Some universities have extended or foundation programmes (UCT Science uses NBT results to place students in its extended degree). Diplomas and higher certificates need less than a bachelor’s degree. You can also ask some universities to defer your application to next year (UCT will reconsider you, though deferral "does not mean automatic acceptance"), or rewrite subjects through the Department of Basic Education’s Second Chance Matric Programme.
The national minimum for a bachelor’s degree is 50% in four 20-credit subjects and 30% in the language of teaching; for a diploma it is 40% in four subjects. Universities then add their own subject requirements on top.
Where to check this yourself
- Department of Higher Education and Training (dhet.gov.za) (opens the official page)
- The university’s "alternative routes" or "extended programme" page
Do I have to send my matric results to the university?From our research
If you wrote the NSC in South Africa, UCT "will obtain your results directly from your examination authority." Applicants with international qualifications need to send certified results.
Once you accept an offer, several universities want more than just your results. Wits asks already-matriculated applicants for certified copies of matric certificates (or foreign school-leaving certificates), and anyone who has studied at another tertiary institution for certified academic transcripts plus a statement of good conduct/standing. UKZN requires a certified copy of your Statement of Results and a certified copy of your ID when you accept an offer. UWC asks post-matric applicants for a certified NSC/Senior Certificate and a certified ID, with extra documents (an official transcript, a certificate of good conduct) for transfer students.
Other universities may work differently - check the "documents" section of the application form.
Where to check this yourself
- The "how to apply" page of the university
Can I apply to more than one programme, or more than one university, at the same time?From our research
Yes to both, and most students do. Each university is a separate application with its own fee, and within one university you can usually choose more than one programme on a single application: UCT allows up to 2 programme choices (which can span different faculties), Wits and Stellenbosch allow up to 3, and UJ and UWC allow up to 2.
If you qualify for more than one of your choices you can receive multiple offers, but you can only hold one active acceptance at a time - accepting a new offer normally replaces whichever one you accepted before.
Applying to several universities as a backup is normal and sensible - just track each one’s own closing date and application fee separately.
Where to check this yourself
- Each university’s own "how to apply" page
What is a conditional offer, and what happens if my final results don’t meet it?From our research
A conditional offer is made before your final results are out, usually from Grade 11 or mid-year Grade 12 marks: it admits you on condition that your final National Senior Certificate results still meet the programme’s requirements. A firm/final offer follows once your actual results are in. Stellenbosch and UCT both describe conditional offers this way.
UKZN works the same way: a conditional offer applies when you’ve applied with Grade 11 results, and is checked against your real results once they are released.
If your final results do not meet the condition, UCT says plainly that the application becomes unsuccessful and you will be told. We have not found an official page from another university promising anything different, so a conditional offer should be treated as genuinely conditional.
What happens next if you fall short - a different programme, a diploma route, a deferral - depends entirely on the university and programme, so ask its admissions office directly rather than assuming.
Where to check this yourself
- The university’s own offer letter - it states the exact condition
Can I change my programme choice after I’ve already applied?From our research
It depends on the university, and most set a deadline. UCT lets you change your choices for free up to 31 August. Wits lets you amend your choices yourself through its online portal any time before that programme’s applications close, and its own guidance is explicit: "do not submit a new application." Stellenbosch requires any change request to reach its Client Services Centre by the application closing date (31 July for the 2027 intake); after that it is up to the faculty whether to accommodate you.
NWU does not allow changes once an application is submitted at all - you can only apply once per academic year - though accepted students can apply to change their qualification during an "amendment period" in their first year, subject to space being available.
UWC asks you not to submit a new application if you change your mind, and instead to contact its Contact Centre about changing your choice. UJ’s own admissions policy states that once an application is submitted, no changes, modifications or additions can be made.
Policies differ enough between universities that the only safe approach is to check your specific university’s page and act well before its closing date.
Where to check this yourself
- The "how to apply" or admissions FAQ page of the university you applied to
What is the CAO?From our research
The Central Applications Office (CAO) handles first-time applications to UKZN: the CAO application fee is R250 (non-refundable) and its phone number is +27 (0)31 268 4444.
Our research also found that first-time applicants to DUT, MUT and UniZulu apply through the CAO.
Where to check this yourself
Does it cost money to apply?From our research
It depends on the university. UFS is free. The CAO charges R250 for UKZN applications.
Reported fees elsewhere: TUT R240, SMU R300, UL R200, UMP R200, UFH R120, WSU R100; CUT is free.
TUT warns that it "will never charge any prospective student money for making enquiries" and asks you to report scams to its ethics hotline, 0800 006 924.
Where to check this yourself
- Each university’s "how to apply" page
Why do some programmes close months before the general deadline?From our research
Programmes with limited places, interviews, tests or clinical requirements run their own, earlier deadlines. At CPUT, Nursing, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiography, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Therapy closed on 30 June 2026, Emergency Medical Care and Somatology on 31 July, Education on 31 August, and everything else on 30 September. SMU closed all undergraduate applications on 31 July 2026.
The safe habit is to look up the closing date for the specific programme you want, not just the university’s general date, and to apply well before it.
Where to check this yourself
What does "quintile 1-3 schools" mean on a programme page?From our research
Some extended programmes are open only to applicants from certain schools. UKZN’s BCom Extended Curriculum (Accounting and General) is listed for quintile 1-3 schools and its BSocSc Extended Curriculum says students must come from quintile 1-3 schools and must not have attended a university or tertiary access programme for a semester. Rhodes’s Extended Studies route is described as being for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, at the Dean’s discretion.
A quintile is the group a South African public school falls in when schools are ranked by the poverty of the community around them: quintile 1 is the poorest fifth and quintile 5 the least poor. The rule is about the school you attended, not your marks, and your school’s quintile is something your school office or the provincial education department can tell you.
Where to check this yourself
- The programme’s own page, and your school office for your school’s quintile
Money
When do I apply for NSFAS, and do I qualify?From our research
Sources disagree Sources disagree on the NSFAS closing date (18 November vs 31 October). We follow the two government sources.
The NSFAS 2027 application cycle opened on 18 September 2026 and closes on 18 November 2026, with funding outcomes communicated in December. NSFAS is a separate application from applying to a university.
We saw a different closing date (31 October) on at least one other website. The Minister’s own launch speech and the SAnews report both say 18 November, so we use that - but always confirm on nsfas.org.za.
To qualify, you need South African citizenship, a place (or application) at a public university or TVET college, and a combined household income of R350,000 or less per year - R600,000 or less if you or a sibling has a disability. Anyone whose household already receives a SASSA grant (Child Support, Foster Care or Care Dependency) automatically meets the income test. Students registered before 2018 fall under an older, lower threshold of R122,000.
Where to check this yourself
Who do I ask about university financial aid?From our research
Each university has its own financial aid office, separate from NSFAS. For example, UCT’s undergraduate financial aid is financialaid@uct.ac.za or +27 (0)21 650 3545.
Where to check this yourself
Words explained
What is a "selection programme"?From our research
A degree where the university has more qualified applicants than places, so meeting the minimum is not enough: it picks the strongest. Stellenbosch puts it this way: it "receives more applications than we have places available. Therefore, meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to your programme of choice. All programmes are selection programmes."
Medicine, dentistry, engineering and law are the usual examples, but every university decides which of its degrees are selection programmes.
Where to check this yourself
- The degree’s page on the university site - look for "selection"
What is the difference between a bursary and a loan?From our research
A bursary is money for your studies that you normally do not pay back (some come with a condition, such as working for the provider for a set time). A loan must be repaid. These are general definitions - always read the terms of the specific offer.
Where to check this yourself
- The provider’s own terms - and ask the university financial aid office
What is a university of technology?From our research
South Africa has 26 public universities, and six of them are universities of technology: CPUT, CUT, DUT, MUT, TUT and VUT.
Universities of technology (the former technikons) mainly offer career-focused diplomas as well as some degrees; traditional universities mainly offer degrees; comprehensive universities offer both. This description is general knowledge, not quoted from an official page, so we have not labelled any university "traditional" or "comprehensive" as fact.
What is the difference between a Higher Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree?From our research
South Africa’s Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF), set by the Council on Higher Education, pegs each qualification type to a specific NQF level and a minimum number of credits (roughly 10 study hours per credit). A Higher Certificate sits at NQF level 5 (120 credits, about 1 year). A Diploma sits at NQF level 6 (240 or 360 credits, 2-3 years - the 360-credit version can include up to 120 credits of workplace-based learning). An Advanced Diploma sits at NQF level 7 (120 credits, about 1 further year on top of a Diploma or Bachelor’s degree - it is not something a school leaver enrols into directly). A Bachelor’s Degree can sit at NQF level 7 (360 credits, 3 years, a "general" degree) or NQF level 8 (480 credits, 4 years, a more demanding "professional" degree - the track most accredited engineering, law and similar degrees use). A Bachelor Honours Degree sits at NQF level 8 (120 credits, about 1 further year on top of a Bachelor’s degree).
The jump in level is about more than time. SAQA’s own level descriptors describe level 6 as applying known methods to solve problems in unfamiliar contexts, level 7 as integrating knowledge across a field and applying research methods to resolve problems, and level 8 as engaging with knowledge at the forefront of a field and critically evaluating how that knowledge was produced.
In everyday conversation people often use "diploma" loosely for any shorter, career-focused qualification. The HEQSF names above are the precise, registered meaning, and what programme listings on this site use.
What’s the difference between a BEng/BSc(Eng) and a BEngTech or engineering Diploma?From our research
These lead to different professional registration categories with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), not just different-sounding names. ECSA’s own registration page sets out three categories: a Professional Engineer (Pr Eng), whose benchmark qualification is a 4-year BEng or BSc(Eng), who solves "complex engineering problems"; a Professional Engineering Technologist (Pr Tech Eng), whose qualification is a Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech), who applies "established engineering principles and advanced technological knowledge" to more narrowly-scoped work; and a Professional Engineering Technician (Pr Techni Eng), whose qualification is a National Diploma/Diploma in Engineering, who solves "well-defined engineering problems."
BEngTech is itself a Bachelor’s degree, not a diploma - it typically sits at NQF level 7 with 360 credits over 3 years, offered at universities of technology, and is the current route into the Pr Tech Eng category (the older standalone BTech top-up qualification is being phased out). We found this stated consistently across several universities-of-technology programme pages but have not read a single CHE/SAQA document that states the BEngTech level directly, so this paragraph is reported rather than verified.
Practically: this site lists many engineering qualifications at universities of technology (CPUT, CUT, DUT, MUT, TUT, VUT) as BEngTech or National Diploma programmes rather than BEng. These are real, respected, accredited routes into engineering - including into a Professional Engineering Technologist or Technician career - but they sit in a different ECSA category from a BEng/BSc(Eng), which is specifically the route to becoming a Professional Engineer. If your goal is specifically "Professional Engineer," check whether a programme is accredited as a BEng/BSc(Eng) before applying - the university’s own faculty page will say so.
Where to check this yourself
- ECSA - Registration categories (opens the official page)
- The programme’s own page - check whether it is accredited as BEng/BSc(Eng), BEngTech, or a Diploma
What is an "extended" or "augmented" programme, and is it a lower-quality degree?From our research
Many universities run a version of a programme with extra support for students who just miss the standard entry. UCT’s Commerce faculty describes augmented degrees (standard time with extra support) and extended degrees (the course load spread over an extra year, with extra support), and says the degrees and specialisations are the same as the mainstream programmes and you receive the same degree at graduation.
The entry score is lower, which is the main reason to look at them. For example, UJ lists its extended science degrees at APS 26 where the mainstream versions need 30-33, and CPUT’s Extended Curriculum Programme for Landscape Architecture asks for APS 28 with Mathematics where the mainstream diploma asks for 30. Extended routes usually take one extra year, so check the cost of that year.
Some universities decide for you: UCT’s Science faculty admits everyone to the three-year BSc and then counsels selected students onto the four-year Extended Degree Programme after mid-term tests in the first semester.
Where to check this yourself
- The university’s prospectus entry for the programme, which lists the extended version separately
About Studypath
How do I know the numbers on Studypath are right?From our research
Every admission requirement links to the official university page or document it came from, and we publish what we could not verify. You can see each scoring formula, the source we checked it against, and every gap or conflict on our data page.
Universities change their requirements, and some of their websites block automated checks, so a few entries are marked "partly verified". Always confirm on the university’s own page before you rely on anything.
Where to check this yourself
Does Studypath keep my marks?From our research
No. The marks you type into the calculator are worked out in your browser and saved only on your own device so you do not have to retype them. There are no accounts. See our privacy page for exactly what is and is not collected.
No answer matches that yet. Ask us and we’ll add it.
Not in here?
Ask us a question, or ask a university directly – we’ll point you at the right person.