Wits Admission Requirements

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa, has specific admission requirements for prospective students.

Minimum Admission Requirements (Bachelor’s Degree Pass)

NB: Compliance with the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place at the University. The University has a specific number of places for first-year undergraduates, approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results, and other entry requirements where applicable.

Applicants require the following to be considered for entry into any of the five faculties:
  • National Senior Certificate (NSC), or Independent Examinations Board (IEB), or South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI) subjects, and 
  • Certain levels of achievement as well as a Bachelor’s degree pass.
  • Completion of any other additional Faculty or School requirements where applicable.

Note that only one Matric upgrade/rewrite attempt is considered. Applicants upgrading/rewriting Matric subjects for a second time will be unsuccessful.

Wits tabulates the points score for all subjects on the following basis:
  • English must be taken either as a Home Language or First Additional Language
  • Mathematics is a core and compulsory subject for all numerate programmes in Commerce, Law and Management, Engineering and the Built Environment, Science, and most of the programmes in the Health Sciences Faculty
  • Mathematical Literacy will be considered for LLB, Education, and Humanities (except for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology)
  • Wits do not distinguish between designated vs. non - designated subjects when calculating the admission points score (APS)
  • The APS calculation is based on the best seven subjects including Life Orientation (faculty-specific subjects must be included in the calculation)
  • Further Studies (previously AP) subjects are also included in the APS calculation.

Wits Admission Points Score (APS)

Wits APSWits APS%Wits APS for English and MathematicsWits APS for Life OrientationOther subjects
90-100 8+2=10 8
80-89 7+2=9 
70-79 6+2=8
60-69 5+2=7 
50-59 
40-49 
30-39 
0-29 0

National Senior Certificate (NSC) Admission Points Score (APS)

NSC Scale of Achievement NSC %
780 – 99
670 – 79
560 – 69
450 – 59
340 – 49
230 – 39
1  0 – 29

 Applicants upgrading/rewriting Matric subjects for a second time will be unsuccessful. Also, compliance with the minimum requirements does not guarantee a place at the university. The University has a specific number of places for first-year undergraduates, approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results, and other entry requirements where applicable.