VerifiedNelson Mandela University does not use the 7-point admission point score that most universities use. It uses an Applicant Score, and it works on your actual percentages. If you have been converting your marks into 7s and 6s for NMU, stop: the number you get means nothing to its admissions office.
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How the Applicant Score works
- Six subjects, raw percentages. You add the percentages you achieved, as they are, for six National Senior Certificate subjects.
- Out of 600. Six subjects at 100% would be 600, which is the maximum.
- Three subjects are compulsory: your home language, your first additional language, and Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics.
- Required subjects go in next. If the qualification asks for Physical Sciences, say, it must be one of your six.
- Your best remaining subjects fill the rest, to six in total.
- Life Orientation is left out, because it is a 10-credit subject.
The Life Orientation bonus
There is one exception worth knowing. If you attend a quintile 1, 2 or 3 school and achieve 50% or more for Life Orientation, NMU may add 7 points to your score, so the maximum becomes 607. Your school’s quintile is set by the provincial education department; ask your school if you are not sure.
A worked example
| Subject | Mark | Counts? |
|---|---|---|
| English Home Language | 68% | Yes, compulsory |
| isiXhosa First Additional Language | 74% | Yes, compulsory |
| Mathematics | 55% | Yes, compulsory |
| Physical Sciences | 61% | Yes, if the programme requires it |
| Life Sciences | 66% | Yes, best remaining |
| Geography | 72% | Yes, best remaining |
| Life Orientation | 80% | No, 10-credit subject |
Applicant Score: 68 + 74 + 55 + 61 + 66 + 72 = 396 out of 600. If this learner’s school is quintile 1 to 3, the 80% in Life Orientation adds 7, for 403.
What score do you need?
Each qualification sets its own minimum Applicant Score, together with subject levels, and NMU does not publish a single university-wide cut-off. Look up the qualification in the NMU undergraduate guide, and read the university’s own Applicant Score page for the rules above. Meeting the minimum puts you in the running; selection programmes such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Radiography rank applicants above it.
If you take eight or more subjects, the order is the same: your three compulsory subjects, any required subjects, then your best remaining subjects, up to six.
Comparing NMU with other universities
Because the scales differ, a score from one university cannot be carried to another. For how other universities count, see UJ, UKZN and Rhodes, which also works on percentages but divides them by ten.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nelson Mandela University use APS?
No. It uses an Applicant Score: the raw percentages of six NSC subjects added together, out of 600, with Life Orientation excluded.
Which subjects must be in my NMU Applicant Score?
Your home language, your first additional language, and Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics, plus any subject the qualification requires, then your best remaining subjects up to six.
Does Life Orientation count at NMU?
Not normally. Applicants from quintile 1, 2 or 3 schools who achieve 50% or more in Life Orientation may have 7 points added, for a maximum of 607.
What Applicant Score do I need for NMU?
It depends on the qualification. NMU sets a minimum Applicant Score and subject levels for each programme rather than one university-wide score.