{"id":332,"date":"2026-02-19T21:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/?p=332"},"modified":"2026-09-22T03:59:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T03:59:42","slug":"nmu-aps-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/nmu-aps-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Nelson Mandela University Applicant Score: How NMU Ranks You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Nelson Mandela University does not use the 7-point admission point score that most universities use. It uses an <strong>Applicant Score<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the Applicant Score works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Six subjects, raw percentages.<\/strong> You add the percentages you achieved, as they are, for six National Senior Certificate subjects.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Out of 600.<\/strong> Six subjects at 100% would be 600, which is the maximum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Three subjects are compulsory:<\/strong> your home language, your first additional language, and Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Required subjects go in next.<\/strong> If the qualification asks for Physical Sciences, say, it must be one of your six.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your best remaining subjects<\/strong> fill the rest, to six in total.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Life Orientation is left out<\/strong>, because it is a 10-credit subject.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Life Orientation bonus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019s quintile is set by the provincial education department; ask your school if you are not sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A worked example<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Subject<\/th><th>Mark<\/th><th>Counts?<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>English Home Language<\/td><td>68%<\/td><td>Yes, compulsory<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>isiXhosa First Additional Language<\/td><td>74%<\/td><td>Yes, compulsory<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mathematics<\/td><td>55%<\/td><td>Yes, compulsory<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Physical Sciences<\/td><td>61%<\/td><td>Yes, if the programme requires it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Life Sciences<\/td><td>66%<\/td><td>Yes, best remaining<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Geography<\/td><td>72%<\/td><td>Yes, best remaining<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Life Orientation<\/td><td>80%<\/td><td>No, 10-credit subject<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Applicant Score: 68 + 74 + 55 + 61 + 66 + 72 = <strong>396 out of 600<\/strong>. If this learner\u2019s school is quintile 1 to 3, the 80% in Life Orientation adds 7, for 403.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What score do you need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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\u2019s own <a href=\"https:\/\/myfuture.mandela.ac.za\/Applicant-Score\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Applicant Score page<\/a> for the rules above. Meeting the minimum puts you in the running; selection programmes such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Radiography rank applicants above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comparing NMU with other universities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because the scales differ, a score from one university cannot be carried to another. For how other universities count, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/uj-aps-calculator\/\">UJ<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/ukzn-aps-calculator\/\">UKZN<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/rhodes-university-aps\/\">Rhodes<\/a>, which also works on percentages but divides them by ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1791000000332\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does Nelson Mandela University use APS?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. It uses an Applicant Score: the raw percentages of six NSC subjects added together, out of 600, with Life Orientation excluded.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1791000000333\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Which subjects must be in my NMU Applicant Score?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1791000000334\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Does Life Orientation count at NMU?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1791000000335\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What Applicant Score do I need for NMU?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>It depends on the qualification. NMU sets a minimum Applicant Score and subject levels for each programme rather than one university-wide score.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nelson Mandela University does not use the 7-point admission point score that most universities use. It uses an Applicant Score, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_ba_keyfacts":"","_ba_provider_contact":"","_ba_provider_name":"","_ba_provider_type":"","_ba_provider_cat":"","_ba_writer":"pieter-van-der-merwe","_ba_reviewer":"naledi-khumalo","iawp_total_views":45,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-applications"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":860,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions\/860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bursariesafrica.co.za\/universities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}