UL Admission Requirements

Requirements / APS

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) will be issued for the first time to South African matriculants at the end of 2008. Prospective students, with an NSC, who wish to gain entry to any undergraduate programme at the University of Limpopo in 2009, should comply with the following:

• Life Orientation with an achievement level of at least three ( 3) .
• Aligned with the language policy of the university, English as a language of learning and teaching with an achievement level of at least three ( 3) .
• The required minimum levels of achievement in specific subjects as stipulated in the Calendars of each Faculty, provided that:
• Four 20-credit subjects were achieved with a minimum NSC achievement level of four (4) for degree programmes and
• Four 20-credit subjects were achieved with a minimum NSC achievement level of three (3) for diploma programmes.
• The required Admission Point Score (APS) as stipulated in the Calendars of each Faculty. Meeting the minimum APS for a particular programme does not, however, guarantee admission.

Students, who successfully completed Grade 12 before 2008, can apply for admission to the University with the normal Grade 12 Senior Certificate with full university exemption by converting their grade symbols to an APS.

The Admission Point Score (APS) system

The system is a simple calculation, using your NSC or Grade 12 university exemption results, which can be done by any prospective student to determine if he/she meets the minimum requirements to gain entry into:

• The University of Limpopo, and
• A specific programme of choice offered by a Faculty within the University.

The calculation is done by the addition of the achievement levels in six (6) recognized 20 credit subjects as stipulated by specific requirements of the Faculties. Achievement levels are as follows:

NSC Achievement Level	NSC %	Senior Certificate Higher Grade	Senior Certificate Standard Grade	APS
7	80-99 Advertisement	A		7
6	70-79	B	A	6
5	60-69	C	B	5
4	50-59	D	C	4
3	40-49	E	D	3
2	30-39	F	E	2
1	0-29	G	F	1

 
The NSC achievements levels for Life Orientation may not be used for the APS calculation.

National Benchmark Tests (NBT’s)

All first entering students to the University of Limpopo, except those with completed university degrees or diplomas, must write the National Benchmark Test (NBT) in 2011 for 2012. There are two tests, namely, Academic and Quantitative Literacy (AQL) and Mathematics. It is compulsory for all applicants to write the AQL tests.

The Mathematics test needs to be written only by students who wish to study for a degree programme for which Mathematics is a requirement.

The NBT results will be used for the following purposes:

1. for diagnostic analysis for organisation of academic development and academic support.
2. to inform curriculum review
3. for research

For more information on NBTs, click here.

Please note the following:
Students with first degrees are not required to write the NBT;
Students who have already written the NBT are not required to rewrite the tests.