How To Calculate Your Aps Score

How to Calculate Your APS Score (With a Real Example)

A YUNI Guide for South African Matrics

The Short Answer

Your APS (Admission Point Score) is calculated by converting your final matric percentage in each subject into points. This is done using a scale where each grade band earns a set number of points. Your best six subjects are then added together (excluding Life Orientation in most cases). A 70-79% in a subject typically earns 6 points while an 80-100% earns 7, and so on down the scale. Add your best six and that total is your APS. Requirements vary by institution and course, so the same APS can qualify you in one place and fall short in another. If you're not sure which courses suit your strengths, regardless of what your APS allows, the free YUNI Aptitude Test and Personality Assessment are a useful place to start.

Introduction

Nothing spikes matric anxiety quite like the word "APS." One number, calculated from marks you got months ago, apparently deciding your entire future. It's not that dramatic, but nobody explains that clearly, so the panic fills the gap.

Here's the part that actually helps: APS is just arithmetic. Once you see the calculation done properly, with real numbers, it stops being a mystery and starts being something you can just check for yourself.

What APS Actually Is

APS stands for Admission Point Score. It's the number South African universities and colleges use to filter applications. It’s a quick way to compare thousands of matric results against course requirements without reading every certificate individually. Each institution can set its own point scale and its own minimum APS per course. This is exactly why the same matric results can qualify you for a BCom at one university and fall short at another. Always check the specific institution's own scale and not just a generic chart.

REAL TALK 💬

Your APS is a filter, not a verdict. It tells an admissions office whether to look at your application further. It says nothing about whether you'll be good at the course once you're in it.

How to Calculate It, Step by Step

Step 1: List your six best subjects.
Most institutions calculate APS using your top six subjects. Life Orientation is usually excluded or capped separately. Be sure to check the specific institution's rule.

Step 2: Convert each percentage to points.
The most common scale looks like this: 80-100% = 7 points, 70-79% = 6 points, 60-69% = 5 points, 50-59% = 4 points, 40-49% = 3 points, 30-39% = 2 points, below 30% = 1 point.

Step 3: Add the six-point values together.
That total, out of a maximum of 42, is your APS.

A worked example:

Say your best six results were: English 68% (5 points), Maths 74% (6 points), Physical Sciences 61% (5 points), Life Sciences 82% (7 points), Geography 70% (6 points) and Afrikaans 65% (5 points).
5 + 6 + 5 + 7 + 6 + 5 = 34
That's an APS of 34. Whether that's enough depends entirely on the course and institution you're applying to. Some competitive programmes want 38+, others sit comfortably below 30.

QUICK TIP

Recalculate using each specific institution's own point scale before you panic or celebrate. Some universities use a 7-point scale like above, others use a different one entirely. Comparing your APS to the wrong scale is one of the most common mistakes matrics make.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends entirely on the course and institution. A highly competitive programme like medicine might need 40+, while many diplomas and degrees sit comfortably in the low-to-mid 30s or lower.

Usually not, or it's capped and counted separately. Most institutions calculate APS from your best six subjects excluding Life Orientation. Always confirm with the specific institution.

Yes. Higher certificates and bridging courses exist specifically for this, and many let you work up to your original diploma or degree once you've proven yourself at that level.

No. It's the first filter, not the whole decision. It says nothing about which career actually suits your strengths and personality. That's a separate question worth answering properly.

What's Next

Your APS tells you which doors are open. It doesn't tell you which one you should walk through. Take the free YUNI Aptitude Test and Personality Assessment to figure out what genuinely fits you, then use your APS to work out how to get there.