Understanding the APS Score Required for Studying Medicine in South Africa

Your child has decided they want to study medicine. Now the questions start. What marks do they need? Which university should they apply to? And what exactly is an APS score?

If you have been searching for clear answers, you are not alone. Every year thousands of South African families navigate this process without a roadmap. This article gives you the foundation. What the APS score is, why it matters for medicine, and what you need to know before your child submits a single application.

What is an APS Score?

APS stands for Admission Point Score. It is the number South African universities use to assess whether a matric student qualifies for a specific programme. Your APS is calculated from your final matric results — typically your best six subjects, excluding Life Orientation.

Each subject is given a point value based on the percentage achieved:

–       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

Add up your six best subject scores and that is your APS.

Simple in theory. But here is where it gets complicated, not every university calculates APS the same way.

Why Medicine is Different

Medicine is the most competitive undergraduate programme in South Africa. At every university that offers it, simply meeting the minimum APS is not enough. Universities receive far more applications than they have places, which means the actual entry score is always higher than the published minimum.

This is one of the most important things families misunderstand. A published minimum APS is the floor. the point below which your application will not even be considered. It is not a guarantee of entry.

What Each University Looks For

Each of the seven major universities offering health sciences in South Africa has its own admissions process and they are more different from each other than most families realise.

Some use a straightforward APS calculation. Others use composite scoring systems that weight certain subjects more heavily. One uses a Situational Judgement Test alongside academic results. Another requires the National Benchmark Tests and factors them into a Composite Index alongside your matric marks.

Understanding exactly how each university calculates its entry score and what the realistic competitive score looks like, not just the published minimum is essential before your child decides where to apply.

The Subject Requirements Matter as Much as the Score

Here is something many families discover too late: a high APS score alone is not sufficient if your child has not taken the right subjects.

Every medical school in South Africa has specific subject requirements. Mathematics and Physical Sciences appear on almost every list. The required performance level in each subject varies by institution. A student who achieved an excellent overall APS but did not take the right subjects or did not achieve the required level in them, will not be considered regardless of their total score.

This is why subject choices made in Grade 9 and Grade 10 have consequences that reach all the way to university admission.

The National Benchmark Tests

Several South African universities require applicants to write the National Benchmark Tests, known as the NBTs, in addition to submitting matric results. These tests assess academic literacy and mathematics ability and are used differently at different institutions.

At some universities NBT results are used purely for placement into academic support programmes. At others they carry significant weight in the selection process itself. At one major university the NBT score accounts for 40% of the total score used to rank applicants.

The NBTs are written at specific venues on specific dates throughout the year. Missing the relevant deadline for your chosen university can delay your application by a full year.

What This Means for Your Child

The path to studying medicine in South Africa requires:

•        The right subjects chosen at the right time

•        Strong performance across all of them

•        A clear understanding of how each university calculates and uses your score

•        NBT preparation and registration at the right time

•        Applications submitted before deadlines that are earlier than most families expect

Each of these steps has its own timeline, its own requirements, and its own consequences if missed.

Where to Get the Full Picture

The information in this article gives you the foundation. But the full picture, exact subject requirements per university, realistic competitive scores based on current data, the NBT explained in detail, application deadlines, and a year by year action plan from Grade 9 to matric. is covered comprehensively in the Health Sciences Your Complete Guide.

Written by a Registered Psychometrist with years of experience guiding South African families through exactly this process, the guide covers medicine alongside 13 other health sciences careers, seven university profiles, and everything in between.

If your child is considering health sciences, this is the resource we wish every family had access to from the start.

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