A diploma pass is an achievement level of the National Senior Certificate that makes you eligible to apply for diploma study at a university of technology, a university or a TVET college. It sits below a bachelor pass, which is the level required for degree study.
A diploma pass is a genuine higher education entry qualification rather than a consolation. Diplomas are vocationally focused, they articulate into degree study at many institutions, and in several fields they are the more direct route into employment.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The National Senior Certificate is awarded at several levels, and the level you achieve determines what you can apply to study.
- Bachelor pass, allowing application for degree study
- Diploma pass, allowing application for diploma study
- Higher certificate pass, allowing application for higher certificate study
- National Senior Certificate pass, without direct entry to those routes
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The diploma pass is defined by the Department of Basic Education in terms of how many subjects you pass and the minimum percentage achieved in each, with different minimums applying to your home language, your other required subjects and your electives.
Those thresholds are set in national policy and can be adjusted, so confirm the current definition with the Department of Basic Education or your school rather than relying on a figure from elsewhere. What matters structurally is that a diploma pass requires a lower minimum across your subjects than a bachelor pass does.
Institutions then set their own entry requirements on top of the national pass level. A diploma pass makes you eligible to apply; it does not by itself meet any particular programme’s requirements.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Individual diploma programmes specify their own subjects, and this is usually what decides the outcome rather than the pass level itself. Engineering and information technology diplomas commonly require Mathematics rather than Mathematical Literacy, and health-related diplomas commonly require Life Sciences.
Universities of technology and TVET colleges calculate points from your results in their own ways, and the methods differ from those used for degree admission. Check the specific calculation published by the institution you are applying to.
If a diploma programme requires a subject you did not take, ask the institution about bridging or foundation options. Many run them precisely because subject choice made in Grade 9 should not permanently close off a field.
Documents and Application Requirements
Applications for diploma study normally require the following.
- Your National Senior Certificate or latest statement of results
- A certified copy of your identity document
- Proof of the application fee, where one is charged
- Your final results, used to confirm any conditional offer
- An evaluation certificate, if you hold a foreign qualification
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Diploma programmes are often oversubscribed, particularly at well-known universities of technology, so meeting the minimum does not secure a place. Institutions select from the applicants who apply, and some programmes add their own assessment or portfolio requirement.
Articulation is the point most worth understanding. Many diplomas allow you to progress into an advanced diploma and then into postgraduate study, so a diploma pass does not close off degree-level study; it takes a different route to it. Ask each institution what its articulation pathway looks like.
If you are close to a bachelor pass and specifically want degree study, ask your school about supplementary examinations or rewriting particular subjects, and compare that against starting a diploma and articulating. Both are legitimate and the better choice depends on the field. See bachelor pass requirements for the degree-entry route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I study a degree with a diploma pass?
Not directly. You can study a diploma and articulate into degree study at many institutions, or improve your matric results to obtain a bachelor pass.
Is a diploma worth less than a degree?
They are different qualifications with different purposes. Diplomas are more vocationally focused and in several fields lead more directly into employment.
Do I need Mathematics for a diploma?
It depends on the programme. Engineering and IT diplomas commonly require it, while many others accept Mathematical Literacy. Check the specific programme.
Where can I confirm the exact pass requirements?
The Department of Basic Education sets and publishes them. Confirm the current thresholds with the department or your school.
Confirm the current diploma pass thresholds with the Department of Basic Education, and confirm programme requirements and articulation options with each institution. For the wider picture see admission requirements and browse all education requirements.