What Is A Good APS Score? - Together We Pass (2024)

Leave a Comment / Education, Matric / By Amy

Deciding what is a good APS score is, it’s subjective and it depends on what you want to study and where you want to study.

There are four different pass levels for Matric, and each determines the highest level qualification that you can apply for. Each pass level has its own APS and subject requirements.

Generally, a good APS is considered to be 35 or above. However, this score is not necessary to be able to apply for a lot of courses. An APS of 35 or above is only required for very specific and high-stress courses, such as medicine or law.

What Are The Four Pass Levels?

The four different pass levels and the minimum requirements to achieve them are:

Bachelor’s Degree Pass

To receive a Bachelor’s Degree pass, you must have the following:

  • 40% or above for English Home Language
  • 50% or above for Mathematics, OR 60% or above for Mathematical Literacy
  • 50% or above for three other subjects, excluding Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for one other subject

This makes your APS total 21.

Diploma Pass

To receive a Diploma pass, you must have the following:

  • 40 % or above for English Home Language
  • 40 % or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
  • 40% or above for three other subjects, excluding Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for one other subject

This brings your APS total to 18, which is the minimum entry requirement for a Diploma at a university.

Higher Certificate Pass

To receive a Higher Certificate pass, you must have the following:

  • 40% or above for English Home Language
  • 40% or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
  • 40% or above for one other subject
  • 30% or above for Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for two other subjects

This brings your APS total to 15 which is the minimum entry requirement for a Higher Certificate at a college.

NSC/SC Pass

To receive an NSC pass, you must have the following:

  • 40% or above for English Home Language
  • 40% or above for Mathematics, OR 50% or above for Mathematical Literacy
  • 40% or above for one other subject
  • 30% or above for Life Orientation
  • 30% or above for three other subjects

This brings your APS total to 14 which is the minimum requirement to pass matric, but will not admit you into any university or higher certificate courses.

Remember that these are only the minimum requirements and that achieving these does not guarantee entry into a university course.

What Is The Highest Pass Level?

The highest pass level you can achieve at the end of Matric is a Bachelor’s Degree pass, which is also sometimes known as Matric Exemption.

What Is The Minimum APS For A Bachelor’s Degree?

The minimum APS required to achieve a Bachelor’s Degree pass is 21. However, many courses require a higher APS than 21 to apply. Below is a list of universities that you can check to see their APS and subject requirements:

What Is The Highest APS?

Your APS is calculated using six of your seven subjects. Life Orientation does not count towards your APS, although you do have to pass Life Orientation to pass Matric. The highest number of points you can achieve for a subject is 7. This means that the highest possible APS to achieve is 42.

How Do I Calculate My APS?

There are two ways you can calculate your APS:

  • Calculate it yourself
  • Calculate it online

To calculate it yourself, you will need the points allocation. They are as follows:

  • 80% – 100% = 7 points
  • 70% – 79% = 6 points
  • 60% – 69% = 5 points
  • 50% – 59% = 4 points
  • 40% – 49% = 3 points
  • 30% – 39% = 2 points
  • 0% – 29% = 1 point

Using this information, you can find out how many points you scored for each of your subjects. Remember to exclude Life Orientation. You can then add up these points to get your APS.

How Is APS Calculated At Different Universities?

Sometimes a university will have its own method of calculating your APS. Most universities will either have their own online calculator on their website, or they will have instructions on how to calculate your own APS using their system. Check with the university you are applying to about how they calculate your APS.

What Do I Do If My APS Is Too Low?

There are options available to you if your APS does not meet the requirements for the course you want to study:

  • Start at a lower course level
  • Rewrite your Matric
  • Upgrade your Matric

Start At A Lower Course Level

Starting at a lower course level will allow you to work your way up to a higher qualification. You may still be able to study the qualification you want to, it will just take a bit longer to get there.

Rewrite Your Matric

Rewriting your Matric is a good option for anyone under the age of 21 who would like to improve their Matric marks. You can rewrite two subjects, and they must be subjects you wrote for your Matric final exams. You cannot change subjects for the rewrite.

To apply for a Matric Rewrite, you will need:

  • A copy of your Statement of Results
  • A certified copy of your ID

Upgrade Your Matric

Upgrading your Matric is a good option for anyone over the age of 21 who would like to improve their Matric marks. You can apply to upgrade your Matric as early as 19, but you must be over the age of 21 to write the exams because you will write the Adult Matric exams.

You can upgrade as many subjects as you choose, and you can also choose to change any or all of your elective subjects.

To apply for a Matric Upgrade, you will need:

  • A copy of your Statement of Results
  • A certified copy of your ID

What Have We Learned?

A good APS is subjective, so only you can decide whether or not your APS is good. You can calculate your own APS, or use an online calculator. Different universities sometimes calculate APS differently. If your APS is too low, you still have options.

Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Amy Venter
Date Published: April 12, 2022

What Is A Good APS Score? - Together We Pass (2024)

FAQs

What Is A Good APS Score? - Together We Pass? ›

A score of 3 or higher is generally considered good, because that means you passed the exam! A 4 is considered very good, and a 5 is especially impressive since it is the highest score. Also keep in mind that every college sets its own policy about AP credit. Some schools only give credit for scores of 4 or 5.

What should your APS score be? ›

APS requirements vary based on whether you're aiming for a Bachelor's Degree, a Diploma, a Higher Certificate, or a National Senior Certificate. A Bachelor's Degree pass, the highest level matric pass, typically requires an APS of at least 23. Therefore, an APS of 27 is quite competitive.

Is a 70% a 5 on the AP Exam? ›

Usually, a 70 to 75 percent out of 100 translates to a 5. However, there are some exams that are exceptions to this rule of thumb. The AP Grades that are reported to students, high schools, colleges, and universities in July are on AP's five-point scale: 5: Extremely well qualified.

What are good AP scores? ›

In most cases, a 3 or higher is considered a solid AP score. But you can get an even better idea of how good your AP score is by comparing it to the average score for that test that year. For example, the average score for AP Biology was 2.83 in 2021. Anything higher would be considered above average for that test.

Is 10 aps good? ›

How Many AP Classes Should You Take for Ivy Leagues and Other Top US Universities? For students aiming for the Ivy League and Top 20 schools in the United States, a good target is to take (and pass) 10-14 AP classes throughout your high school career — or 3-4 each year.

What is the highest ApS score? ›

The calculation of an APS is simple and is based on a candidate's achievement in six recognised 20-credit subjects. The APS uses the National Senior Certificate scale of achievement, from 1 to 7. Thus, the highest APS that can be achieved is 42.

Is 4 aps enough for college? ›

For moderately selective colleges: Take AP classes for most core subjects and a few additional courses. These will amount to around 4-8 AP courses. For less selective colleges: You can take AP classes in some core subjects in addition to courses relevant to your interests and goals.

Is a 50% a 5 on the AP test? ›

As a general guide, though, you can consider roughly more than 70% correct as being in the 5 range, 50-69% for a score of 4, 40-49% for a score of 3, 30-39% for a 2, and below 30% would likely be a 1. Again, these ranges are approximations and can vary by subject and by year.

Is an 85 a 5 on the AP exam? ›

For an AP exam, getting a score of 5 usually means you've scored around 70% to 80% on the test, but it can vary.

What is 60% on an AP test? ›

Yes, a 60 is considered a passing grade in AP classes. In AP, the average passing rate is 60-70%.

Can you get a 0 on an AP exam? ›

To answer your question directly, no, you can't score a literal zero on an AP test; the scores range from 1 to 5. Even if you were to leave the entire test blank, you'd still get a 1.

Is a 3 a bad AP score? ›

An AP® score of 3 is a respectable score. The College Board designates a 3 to be “qualified”. That means that you understood and executed the material to the point that you could pass the college class. While you did not receive the highest grade in the class, you did pass.

Is 9 APs impressive? ›

Nine AP courses is more than enough to go anywhere assuming that you did well on the AP tests. You probably could get by with six.

Is 6 APs enough? ›

College counselors recommend that students strive to take 5-8 AP classes throughout their high school career, especially if they are interested in attending a highly-selective institution such as an Ivy League college. That said, you shouldn't feel pressured to take more AP classes than you can comfortably manage.

Is 8 APs enough? ›

To be a competitive candidate for admission, you will need to take at least 8 AP® classes, more if you can. It is a good idea to take 1 AP® course in each of the following core disciplines: English, Foreign Language, History, Math, and Science to impress the admissions officers.

Is 5 aps good for college? ›

College counselors recommend that students strive to take 5-8 AP classes throughout their high school career, especially if they are interested in attending a highly-selective institution such as an Ivy League college. That said, you shouldn't feel pressured to take more AP classes than you can comfortably manage.

What is the lowest ApS score for teaching? ›

The BEd phase and FET teaching at TUT requires an Admission Point Score of 24 with the specialty of level four in Maths, and English. The University Criteria for APS score for teaching is 28 or higher.

What is APS grades? ›

APS: The first figure is the average points score per pupil. For example, if one pupil scores 50 points and another scores 40, the average will be 45 (90/2). The second figure is the average points score per entry.

How to calculate applicant score? ›

Your Applicant Score must also include any subjects required by the qualification for admission. For applicants with seven Grade 12 NSC subjects, their AS is calculated by adding the percentages for six 20-credit subjects. This gives a score out of 600.

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