Wits APS Calculator: Check Your Admission Score Instantly
Work out your Wits Admission Point Score before you apply to the University of the Witwatersrand. Wits uses its own weighted scale with bonus points for English and Mathematics, so a standard APS calculator will not give you the right number. Enter your matric marks below for an instant Wits score with a full subject-by-subject breakdown.
Calculate My Wits APS ↓Wits APS Calculator
Enter the percentage you scored in each subject, then press Calculate. Wits scores your best seven subjects, so English, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, and Life Orientation are always counted, along with your best four other subjects.
Your Wits APS Score
0
Out of a maximum of 56
Subject-by-subject breakdown
| Subject | Percentage | Column | Points |
|---|
This total adds together your English, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation, and best four other subjects on Wits’s weighted scale.
Wits does not use the standard 42-point APS scale. It scores your best seven subjects, including Life Orientation, on its own weighted table. Ordinary subjects earn up to 8 points, English and Mathematics earn up to 10 points thanks to a bonus at 60% and above, and Life Orientation is scored separately with a maximum of 4 points. This gives a maximum possible Wits APS of 56. Mathematical Literacy is scored on the ordinary scale and does not receive the Mathematics bonus. Use the calculator above for your own total, and always confirm the exact requirement with Wits for your programme.
How to Use the Wits APS Calculator
Four quick steps to an accurate Wits score for your application.
- 1 Enter your English and Mathematics marks. Choose whether you took Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, since only Mathematics gets the Wits bonus.
- 2 Add your Life Orientation mark. Wits always counts Life Orientation, on its own scale capped at 4 points.
- 3 Enter your other subjects. Add at least 4 more subjects. If you enter more, the calculator keeps your best 4 and drops the rest.
- 4 Press Calculate. Your total Wits APS, points per subject and a full breakdown appear instantly. Use “Copy Result” to save it for your application.
The Wits APS Calculation Formula
Wits converts each subject percentage into points using three separate columns, then adds your best seven subjects together.
English & Mathematics Points = Ordinary Points + 2 bonus at 60% and above, capped at 10
Life Orientation Points = LOOKUP( Mark % on its own 0 to 4 scale )
Wits APS = English + Mathematics (or Mathematical Literacy) + Life Orientation + Best 4 Other Subjects
Wits requires the best seven subjects for its APS, which normally means your six academic subjects plus Life Orientation. English and Mathematics must always be included, and both receive a bonus of 2 points once you score 60% or above, up to a cap of 10. Mathematical Literacy does not receive this bonus and is scored the same as any other subject. If you entered more than 4 additional subjects, the calculator automatically keeps your best 4 and drops the rest, so only your strongest combination counts toward the total.
Worked Examples
Real calculations using Wits’s weighted scale, so you can see exactly how the total is built.
Example 1: Strong English and Mathematics results
| English: 91% | 10 points (8 + 2 bonus, capped) |
| Mathematics: 76% | 8 points (6 + 2 bonus) |
| Life Sciences: 74% | 6 points |
| Physical Sciences: 68% | 5 points |
| Geography: 66% | 5 points |
| Accounting: 58% | 4 points |
| Life Orientation: 85% | 3 points (own scale, max 4) |
| Total Wits APS | 41 out of 56 |
Example 2: Mathematical Literacy instead of Mathematics
| English: 82% | 9 points (7 + 2 bonus) |
| Mathematical Literacy: 78% | 6 points (ordinary scale, no bonus) |
| Business Studies: 70% | 6 points |
| Economics: 65% | 5 points |
| History: 61% | 5 points |
| IsiZulu: 58% | 4 points |
| Life Orientation: 72% | 2 points (own scale, max 4) |
| Total Wits APS | 37 out of 56 |
Example 3: More than 7 subjects entered
| English, Mathematics and Life Orientation counted as above, plus | 5 other subjects entered |
| Lowest-scoring of the 5 other subjects | Dropped automatically |
| Remaining best 4 other subjects | Counted toward the total |
Wits APS Score: The Complete Guide
The University of the Witwatersrand does not use the standard 42-point Admission Point Score that most South African universities follow. Wits publishes its own weighted method, and knowing how it works helps you understand exactly where your matric marks place you before you apply.
How does Wits calculate APS?
Wits scores your best seven subjects, including Life Orientation, and every faculty-required subject must be part of that calculation. Ordinary subjects are converted to points on a 0 to 8 scale, while English and Mathematics earn an additional 2 points once you score 60% or higher, up to a cap of 10 points. Life Orientation is scored on its own separate scale with a maximum of 4 points, lower than an academic subject. Mathematical Literacy is treated as an ordinary subject and does not receive the Mathematics bonus.
Wits achievement point scale
| Percentage | Ordinary Subjects | English & Mathematics | Life Orientation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90% to 100% | 8 | 10 | 4 |
| 80% to 89% | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| 70% to 79% | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| 60% to 69% | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 50% to 59% | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 40% to 49% | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 30% to 39% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 0% to 29% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Note the drop between the 40% to 49% band and the 30% to 39% band. Unlike the standard NSC scale used by most universities, Wits awards no APS points at all for a subject scored below 40%.
Why Wits looks different from other university calculators
Most South African universities take your best six subjects, exclude Life Orientation, and cap the total at 42 points using a simple 1 to 7 achievement level scale. Wits instead counts seven subjects, always includes Life Orientation, and rewards strong English and Mathematics results with bonus points. This means the same matric results will produce a different number at Wits than at a university using the standard scale, so a generic APS calculator will not give you an accurate Wits score.
What APS score do you need for Wits?
Wits publishes minimum and wait-list ranges per programme on its own course pages, and these change between admission cycles. As a general guide from Wits’s published entry requirements, wait-list ranges have included roughly 29 or above for Architecture, around 31 to 36 for Education degrees, around 35 to 37 for BCom, and 44 or above for some Mathematical Sciences programmes alongside specific subject levels. These figures move year to year and differ by faculty, so always confirm the current requirement for your specific programme on the official Wits course finder before applying.
Methodology
This calculator applies Wits University’s published entry requirements method, converting each subject percentage into points using the ordinary, English and Mathematics, or Life Orientation column as appropriate, then summing your best seven subjects for a maximum of 56 points. It does not apply National Benchmark Test results, portfolio or interview outcomes, or any faculty-specific selection criteria beyond the point calculation itself.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Marks are entered as final or predicted NSC subject percentages.
- English and Life Orientation are always counted, matching Wits’s published method.
- Only Mathematics receives the 60% and above bonus. Mathematical Literacy is scored on the ordinary scale.
- If more than 4 additional subjects are entered, the lowest-scoring ones are automatically dropped.
- This calculator does not apply faculty-specific minimum subject requirements, such as a minimum Mathematics level for Engineering, or National Benchmark Test outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most universities use your best six subjects, exclude Life Orientation, and cap the total at 42 points. Wits uses your best seven subjects, always includes Life Orientation on its own scale, and adds bonus points for strong English and Mathematics results, giving a maximum of 56 points.
Yes. Wits always includes Life Orientation in the APS calculation, but on its own separate scale with a maximum of 4 points, lower than the maximum for an academic subject.
English and Mathematics each earn an extra 2 points once you score 60% or above, on top of the ordinary points for that percentage band, up to a cap of 10 points. Mathematical Literacy does not receive this bonus.
The maximum is 56 points. This comes from scoring 90% or above in English and Mathematics for 10 points each, 90% or above in your best 4 other subjects for 8 points each, and 90% or above in Life Orientation for 4 points.
Yes, Mathematical Literacy is counted in the same way as any other ordinary subject, without the Mathematics bonus. Some Wits programmes require Mathematics specifically rather than Mathematical Literacy, so check the subject requirements for your chosen programme separately.
Yes, many applicants use their most recent trial exam or predicted marks to estimate their Wits APS ahead of applying. Your final APS is based on your official National Senior Certificate results, which may differ from earlier predicted marks. Use the results type selector above to label your entry as Grade 11 Final, Grade 12 Prelim, or Grade 12 Final for your own reference.
No. Meeting the minimum or wait-listed APS for a programme only means your application may be considered. Wits also applies faculty-specific subject requirements, limited space, and for some faculties the National Benchmark Test, so admission is never guaranteed by APS alone.