The APS calculator that scores you at every SA university — honestly
Enter your NSC marks once and see your real standing at all 26 public universities — each scored by its own official method, with the NBT taken into account and the source cited on every number. No fabricated "% chance". Your marks never leave your device.
26
Public universities covered
100%
Numbers from official sources
NBT
Taken into account, honestly
R0
Free — and marks stay on device
Check your marks now
Enter your subjects below — it works instantly, free, and nothing you type is uploaded or stored.
Your NSC subjects & marks
Enter your final percentages. Everything computes in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.
See how a few more percent moves your standing everywhere — and your NBT bands — then close that gap with a tutor.
Enter at least 4 subjects with marks to see your standing at every university.
Your standing at every university
26 publicEach score uses that university's own official method. Per-programme cut-offs are being sourced; meeting a score is never a guarantee.
UKZN
University of KwaZulu-Natal
NSC performance levels 1–8
UCT
University of Cape Town
UCT Faculty Points Score (FPS)
NBT · All undergraduate applicants must write the NBT. It is used in selection for Humanities, Commerce, Law and Health Sciences; for Engineering & the Built Environment and Science it must be written but is not scored for admission. source ↗
Wits
University of the Witwatersrand
Wits APS (best 7 incl. LO; +2 English & Maths)
NBT · Wits requires the NBT (AQL + Mathematics) for the Faculty of Health Sciences and decides those programmes on a Composite Index of your marks plus the NBT. source ↗
SU
Stellenbosch University
SU NSC aggregate % (best 6 excl. LO) + subject minimums
NBT · Stellenbosch requires the NBT (AQL) for its Law programmes (the LLB and BA in Law); selection weighs your marks and the NBT together. Other faculties dropped the NBT for 2027. source ↗
UP
University of Pretoria
UP APS (best 6, excl. LO)
UJ
University of Johannesburg
UJ APS (best 6, excl. LO)
NWU
North-West University
Standard NSC APS (7-point)
UWC
University of the Western Cape
UWC weighted points (English & Maths weighted; LO capped; max ≈ 65)
NBT · UWC uses the NBT only for alternative / RPL admission — applicants without a matric or without a bachelor's pass — not for mainstream programme selection. source ↗
UFS
University of the Free State
UFS Admission Point (8-point, best 6 + 1 for Life Orientation ≥ 60%)
NBT · All applicants must write the NBT — the AQL for everyone, plus the Mathematics (MAT) test for Economic & Management, Natural & Agricultural, and Health Sciences. It is used in selection for Health Sciences; elsewhere it places you into academic-literacy support, not the offer. source ↗
RU
Rhodes University
Rhodes APS (best 6 percentages ÷ 10; max 60)
NMU
Nelson Mandela University
NMU Applicant Score (sum of 6 subject %s, excl. LO; max 600)
UFH
University of Fort Hare
UFH APS (best 6 excl. LO + LO capped at level 4; max 46)
NBT · Fort Hare considers your NBT results alongside your final matric results when confirming admission; how heavily the NBT counts is not published — write it and confirm with the faculty. source ↗
UL
University of Limpopo
Standard NSC APS (7-point)
NBT · University of Limpopo applicants write the NBT; the results are used for student profiling and to allocate academic support, not to decide your offer. source ↗
Univen
University of Venda
UNIVEN APS (best 7 subject %s ÷ 10, excl. LO; max 70)
Unizulu
University of Zululand
CAO AP Score (1–8, best 6 excl LO)
WSU
Walter Sisulu University
WSU APS (8-point, best 6 excl. LO; max 48)
SPU
Sol Plaatje University
SPU APS (8-point best 6 excl. LO + Maths & Home-Language bonuses + LO; max 56)
UMP
University of Mpumalanga
UMP APS (7-point best 6 excl. LO + Life Orientation halved; max 45.5)
SMU
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
SMU APS (7-point, all 7 subjects incl. LO; max 49)
CPUT
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
CPUT APS (per-programme: best 6 %s ÷ 10, or doubled Maths & Physical Sciences; max 60)
DUT
Durban University of Technology
CAO AP Score (1–8, best 6 excl LO)
TUT
Tshwane University of Technology
Standard NSC APS (7-point)
VUT
Vaal University of Technology
VUT APS (8-point, best 6 excl. LO; max 48)
CUT
Central University of Technology
CUT APS (8-point, best 6 excl. LO + 1 fixed point for Life Orientation; max 49)
MUT
Mangosuthu University of Technology
CAO AP Score (1–8, best 6 excl LO)
UNISA
University of South Africa
UNISA APS (7-point: English + best 5 others, excl. LO; max 42)
More — reverse mode, private colleges & the honest fine print ▾
Reverse mode — what do I need?
Pick a university and a target score to see your gap and where to focus.
Enter your marks above first.
Private colleges
Private institutions admit on their own criteria (not APS) and appear once their accreditation + SAQA IDs are verified — never before. No SAQA ID, not shown.
The honest fine print
- • A score is not an offer. Selection is competitive and weighs factors beyond your aggregate.
- • Methods are from official sources. Each university's scoring is its own published method; we cite it. Per-programme minimums are verified before they show — never guessed.
- • What-if and reverse mode are projections based on the marks you enter, not guarantees.
- • Your marks stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
- • NBT bands are official (nbt.ac.za). Per-programme NBT cut-offs are almost never published — UCT and Wits fold the NBT into a composite we can't compute, so we show your readiness band, never a fake cut-off.
- • Always confirm on the university's official site before deciding. Figures target the 2027 intake.
From your marks to your shortlist — in under a minute
No account, no spreadsheet, no guesswork. Four steps and you know where you stand.
Enter your NSC marks
Type in your subject percentages — final results or your latest report. Four subjects is enough to start. Nothing is uploaded; it all stays in your browser.
See your score at every university
Pathway scores you at all 26 public universities using each one's own official method — not a one-size-fits-all APS. You see exactly where you stand at each.
Add your NBT (optional)
Wrote the National Benchmark Test? Add your AL, QL and MAT scores to see your readiness bands for the programmes that select on them — UCT, Wits, UFS, Stellenbosch.
Know what you qualify for
A clear dashboard shows the programmes you meet the marks for, which need an extra step, and where you fall short — with the source cited on every requirement.
Honesty is the whole point
Most APS calculators round numbers, guess requirements and invent your chances. Pathway refuses to — because a child's future shouldn't rest on a made-up number.
Each university's own method
There is no single national APS. UCT uses a Faculty Points Score, Wits a best-7 composite that includes Life Orientation, Stellenbosch a percentage aggregate, UWC a weighted score. Pathway scores you the way each university actually does.
Every number is sourced
Programme requirements only appear once we've verified them against the university's own published material — and we cite it. If a figure isn't confirmed, we mark it "coming soon" rather than guess.
No fake "% chance"
Other tools invent an admission probability. We never do. Selection is competitive and weighs things no calculator can see, so we show your real standing and the published requirements — never a made-up chance.
Your marks stay private
Everything is calculated in your browser. Your results are never uploaded, stored, or shared — and Pathway never touches race, redress or financial data.
All 26 public universities — each its own way
Traditional universities, universities of technology, comprehensives and UNISA. Pathway scores you at every one using its own published admission method.
University of KwaZulu-Natal
University of Cape Town
University of the Witwatersrand
Stellenbosch University
University of Pretoria
University of Johannesburg
North-West University
University of the Western Cape
University of the Free State
Rhodes University
Nelson Mandela University
University of Fort Hare
University of Limpopo
University of Venda
University of Zululand
Walter Sisulu University
Sol Plaatje University
University of Mpumalanga
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Durban University of Technology
Tshwane University of Technology
Vaal University of Technology
Central University of Technology
Mangosuthu University of Technology
University of South Africa
UCT scores a Faculty Points Score · Wits a best-7 composite including Life Orientation · Stellenbosch a percentage aggregate with the NBT · UWC a weighted points score · the universities of technology their own APS tables. One tool, every method.
We take the NBT into account — without inventing cut-offs
For Health Sciences, Law and other competitive faculties, your marks are only half the story — the National Benchmark Test decides the rest. Enter your AL, QL and MAT scores and Pathway shows your official readiness bands. Universities almost never publish exact NBT cut-offs, so we show your band honestly instead of faking a number.
Academic Literacy (AL)
ProficientQuantitative Literacy (QL)
IntermediateMathematics (MAT)
Intermediate UpperIllustrative — your real bands come from the official nbt.ac.za boundaries.
Questions students actually ask
What is an APS and how is it calculated?
APS stands for Admission Point Score. Most South African universities convert each of your NSC subject percentages into points (for example, the classic 1–7 level scale, where 80–100% scores 7) and add up your best subjects — usually six or seven, often excluding Life Orientation. The total is your APS. The catch is that universities don't all use the same table or the same rules, which is exactly what Pathway accounts for.
Do all universities calculate APS the same way?
No — and that's the biggest source of confusion. UCT uses a Faculty Points Score based on six subjects with its own weighting; Wits counts your best seven subjects including Life Orientation; Stellenbosch works on a percentage average plus the NBT; UWC weights English and Mathematics more heavily. Pathway scores you using each university's own official method instead of a single generic APS.
Which universities does Pathway cover?
All 26 public universities in South Africa — from UCT, Wits, Stellenbosch, UP, UKZN and UJ to the universities of technology (CPUT, TUT, DUT and others) and UNISA. Each is scored by its own published method.
Does the NBT affect my university application?
For some programmes, yes. Universities like UCT, Wits, UFS and Stellenbosch use the National Benchmark Test (NBT) for selection or placement in certain faculties — Health Sciences and Law especially. Pathway lets you enter your AL, QL and MAT scores and shows your official readiness bands. Because per-programme NBT cut-offs are almost never published, we show your band honestly rather than invent a cut-off.
Can Pathway tell me my chance of getting in?
No, and we deliberately never will. Admission is competitive and depends on factors no calculator can see — the size of the applicant pool that year, faculty-specific selection, and more. Inventing a "75% chance" would be dishonest. Pathway shows your real standing against each university's published requirements so you can plan with the truth.
Is the Examslayers APS calculator free?
Yes. Pathway is completely free, with no sign-up required to use the calculator. Your marks are processed in your browser and never uploaded or stored.
What marks should I enter?
Your NSC subject percentages — your final matric results if you have them, or your most recent term/trial marks to plan ahead. Enter at least four subjects to get a result; the more you add, the more accurate your standing across universities.
What if my marks don't meet the requirements?
You still have strong options. Depending on your results you may qualify for a Higher Certificate or diploma, a place at a TVET college, or you can plan a matric rewrite to lift the subjects that count most. Pathway's reverse mode even shows which subjects to improve to reach a target — and we link to honest guides on each path.
Honest guides for your next step
Choosing, funding and getting into university — written straight, for South African students.
See where you really stand — in under a minute
Free, private, and scored the way each university actually does it. No sign-up, no fabricated chances, no marks ever leaving your device.