If you calculate your APS for UWC the same way you would for UP or NWU, your number will be wrong. UWC does not use the standard 1 to 7 point scale. It uses a weighted system where English and Mathematics earn significantly more points than your other subjects, and Life Orientation is included but at a much lower value.
This guide uses the official UWC admissions document, so every number here is accurate.
Why UWC's System Is Different
Most South African universities assign points on a simple scale. A Level 7 gives you 7 points, a Level 6 gives you 6, and so on for every subject. Your total is the sum of your best six.
UWC does not work that way. English and Mathematics are weighted more heavily than all other subjects. A student who scored 90% in English at UWC gets 15 points for that subject. The same student at UP or NWU gets 7. That difference is significant, and it means your UWC APS can look very different from your APS at other universities, especially if your English and Maths results are strong.
Life Orientation is also included at UWC, but it operates on a separate capped scale with a maximum of 3 points regardless of how well you did. Every percentage point in LO that you worked for beyond a certain level stops contributing to your score.
The Official UWC Weighted Points Table
This table comes directly from the official UWC General Admissions Criteria document.
NSC Level | Percentage | English Points | Maths / Maths Lit Points | Life Orientation Points | All Other Subjects |
|---|
Level 7 | 90 - 100% | 15 | 15 | 3 | 8 |
Level 7 | 80 - 89% | 13 | 13 | 3 | 7 |
Level 6 | 70 - 79% | 11 | 11 | 2 | 6 |
Level 5 | 60 - 69% | 9 | 9 | 2 | 5 |
Level 4 | 50 - 59% | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
Level 3 | 40 - 49% | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
Level 2 | 30 - 39% | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Level 1 | 20 - 29% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Below | Less than 20% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Three things to notice here. English and Maths carry the same weight as each other, both reaching a maximum of 15 points. All other subjects cap at 8 points. Life Orientation caps at just 3 points and contributes nothing at all if your mark falls below 20%.
One important clarification on English. UWC counts English Home Language or English First Additional Language in the English column. If you took English as a Second Additional Language, it falls into the "other subjects" column and earns a maximum of 8 points, not 15.
How to Calculate Your UWC APS Step by Step
Your UWC APS is the sum of points from your seven NSC subjects using the weighted table above. That is English, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation, and your four best elective subjects.
Step one: find your English result and apply the English column.
Step two: find your Maths or Maths Literacy result and apply the Maths column.
Step three: find your Life Orientation result and apply the LO column.
Step four: take your four best remaining subjects and apply the "other subjects" column to each.
Step five: add all seven results together.
A Worked Example
Say your matric results look like this:
English Home Language: 68% = Level 5 = 9 points (English column)
Mathematics: 72% = Level 6 = 11 points (Maths column)
Life Orientation: 80% = Level 7 = 3 points (LO column, capped)
Life Sciences: 65% = Level 5 = 5 points (other subjects column)
History: 55% = Level 4 = 4 points (other subjects column)
Geography: 70% = Level 6 = 6 points (other subjects column)
Business Studies: 48% = Level 3 = 3 points (other subjects column)
Total UWC APS: 9 + 11 + 3 + 5 + 4 + 6 + 3 = 41 points
Now notice what happens if this same student calculated their APS using the standard 1 to 7 scale instead. Their English at Level 5 would give 5 points. Their Maths at Level 6 would give 6 points. Their total would come out significantly lower. That is why using the wrong formula gives you a useless number before you even apply.
What APS Do You Need at UWC?
UWC's minimum APS requirements vary by faculty and programme. Here is a breakdown based on the official admissions document:
Faculty or Programme | Minimum UWC Points |
|---|
BA, BTh, BLIS | 35 |
BCom (3-year stream) | 30 |
BAdmin | 30 |
BSc (most programmes) | 33 |
Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) | 38 |
BSc Physiotherapy | 39 |
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) | 37 |
BA in Law | 37 |
BCom Law | 30 |
Bachelor of Social Work | 34 |
Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery | 30 |
Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) | 33 |
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) | 40 |
BEd (most programmes) | 33 |
Dentistry is the most competitive programme at UWC, requiring 40 points. Pharmacy follows at 38. Law and Physiotherapy both sit at 37 and 39 respectively. Commerce and Nursing have lower thresholds but are still competitive in practice because of the number of applicants relative to available spaces.
Meeting the minimum does not guarantee you a place. UWC received over 70,000 applications for just over 4,500 spaces in a recent intake cycle. Students are ranked, and spaces are filled from the top down.
Two Important Application Details
UWC applications are free. There is no application fee for undergraduate programmes, which makes it one of the more accessible universities to apply to.
Deadlines differ by programme. The Bachelor of Dental Surgery and Bachelor of Oral Health close on 31 August. All other programmes close 30 September. Missing these dates means your application is not considered for that cycle.
If deadline management has been a challenge for you in the past, the VarsityToolkit reminder feature lets you set alerts well ahead of closing dates.
LO Counts at UWC But Not as Much as You Think
Because UWC includes Life Orientation, students who scored well in LO sometimes assume it will boost their APS significantly. It will not. The maximum contribution from LO is 3 points, regardless of your mark. Even a 95% in LO gives you the same 3 points as a 90%.
For context, a 90% in English at UWC gives you 15 points. The same mark in LO gives you 3. LO is better than nothing, but it is not where your APS is won or lost at UWC.
You can read more about how different South African universities treat Life Orientation here: Which South African Universities Include Life Orientation in APS.
Skip the Manual Calculation
The weighted system makes UWC one of the trickier calculations to do by hand, especially because English and Maths pull from a different column than everything else. The VarsityToolkit UWC APS Calculator applies the correct official formula automatically.
To compare your score across all 26 South African universities at once, use the main list here.
If Your UWC APS Is Not Where It Needs to Be
Because English and Maths carry the most weight in the UWC system, improving those two subjects has a bigger impact on your UWC APS than improving any other subject. Moving your Maths from 59% to 65% shifts you from 7 points to 9 points in the Maths column. The same improvement in Geography only moves you from 4 to 5 points in the other subjects column. Prioritise English and Maths if rewriting is an option.
If UWC rejected your application and you are figuring out what to do next, this is worth reading: How to Handle University Rejection and Keep Going.
And if you are still deciding whether UWC is the right fit for you, or whether law, health sciences, or another field is the direction you want to take, this article helps you think through that properly first: How to Choose the Right Course for University Without Regretting It Later.
