The core law requirements in South Africa are a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a bachelor pass (degree endorsement), the English level set by the law faculty and, at many universities, a minimum Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy result. On top of that each faculty sets its own APS or points cut-off, and for the four-year LLB these are among the highest on campus.
The LLB (Bachelor of Laws) is the law degree in South Africa that leads to practice as an attorney or advocate. You can take it as a four-year degree straight from matric, as a shortened LLB after a BA Law or BCom Law, or as a graduate LLB after any other degree. There is no national subject list for law, so LLB requirements differ sharply between universities, as the examples below show.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
- Pass level: an NSC bachelor pass (degree endorsement) or an equivalent qualification
- English: a faculty-set minimum, often higher for English First Additional Language than for Home Language
- Mathematics: required at a set level by some faculties (for example Wits and Rhodes), not required at others (UCT)
- APS or points score: each faculty uses its own method and cut-off, and meeting it does not guarantee a place
- Route: four-year LLB from matric, two-year LLB after a BA Law or BCom Law, or three-year graduate LLB
- Extra selection: some faculties add tests or redress factors, such as UCT’s National Benchmark Tests (NBTs)
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Taken from matric, the LLB is a four-year, NQF level 8 degree, and the baseline at every faculty is a bachelor pass. Above that, faculties publish their own minimums. These are the published requirements at the time of writing:
- University of the Witwatersrand: the four-year LLB asks for an APS of 46 or more, English (Home or First Additional Language) at level 6, and Mathematics at level 5 or Mathematical Literacy at level 6. Applicants with an APS of 40 to 45 who meet the subject levels may be wait-listed.
- Rhodes University: normally an APS of 45 across six subjects, at least 60% for English Home Language or 70% for English First Additional Language, and 50% for Mathematics or 60% for Mathematical Literacy.
- University of Cape Town: no specific school subjects are required for law, and Mathematics is not needed, but applicants for the four-year LLB must write the NBTs and UCT factors redress into its assessment.
- Unisa: the distance LLB (qualification code 98680) accepts an NSC with degree endorsement and at least 50% in the language of teaching and learning, with an admission score of 20. It also accepts a Higher Certificate in Law or Criminal Justice with a 60% average, a relevant 360-credit diploma, or a prior law-related bachelor’s degree.
If you miss the direct-entry cut-off, the degree-first route leads to the same LLB. Wits, UCT and Rhodes all run a two-year LLB for students who complete an undergraduate degree with a law major (such as a BA Law or BCom Law, or a Rhodes degree majoring in Legal Theory), and a three-year LLB for graduates of other degrees. Rhodes also allows entry into the LLB after a strong first year of a BA, BCom or BSc with Legal Theory.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
So what subjects are needed for law? Only one is close to universal: English, at a level the faculty sets. Mathematics is the subject that splits faculties. Wits and Rhodes set a minimum Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy result for the four-year LLB, while UCT states that you do not need Mathematics at all. If you plan to take a BCom Law, expect the commerce faculty’s Mathematics requirement to apply as well.
APS methods also differ. Rhodes, for example, calculates its APS across six subjects, and many universities leave Life Orientation out or give it reduced weight. Some faculties, such as Nelson Mandela University, use their own applicant score rather than APS, so a score from one university cannot be compared directly with another’s. Work out your score using each faculty’s own published method.
For the law requirements at UJ, see our separate UJ law requirements guide, and confirm the current figures on the UJ LLB programme page.
Documents and Application Requirements
Apply online through each university’s own portal. The usual documents are:
- A certified copy of your South African ID, or your passport if you are not a South African citizen
- Your final Grade 11 results if you are in matric, or your NSC or equivalent if you have already finished school
- Academic records from any university studies, if you are applying for a two-year or three-year LLB
- NBT results, where the faculty requires them (UCT for the four-year LLB)
- Proof of payment of the application fee, where the university charges one
- A Universities South Africa (USAf) exemption certificate, if you hold a foreign school qualification
Closing dates are early and differ by university. For the 2027 intake UCT’s LLB applications ran from 1 April to 31 July 2026, and Wits lists 30 September 2026 as its closing date. Check each faculty’s date for the year you are applying for.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Meeting the minimum puts you in the pool; it does not secure a place. Wits wait-lists applicants just below its APS cut-off, Rhodes considers motivations and gives preference to Black South African applicants and applicants with disabilities, and UCT applies redress in its calculation. Offers made on Grade 11 results are conditional on your final matric results.
It also helps to know where the degree leads. The LLB is the academic qualification required to practise, but it does not make you a lawyer on its own. To be admitted as an attorney or advocate you must then complete practical vocational training, including structured coursework, pass the competency-based assessment and be admitted by the High Court. These steps are regulated by the Legal Practice Council under the Legal Practice Act 28 of 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an LLB in law?
LLB stands for Legum Baccalaureus, or Bachelor of Laws. In South Africa it is the degree you need before you can train and be admitted as an attorney or advocate. Taken straight from matric it is a four-year, NQF level 8 degree.
What do I need to study law in South Africa?
You need a bachelor pass, the English level the faculty sets, the Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy level some faculties require, and an APS or points score that meets the faculty’s cut-off. Some universities also require tests such as the NBTs. Check each faculty separately, because the requirements differ.
What subjects are needed for law?
English is the one subject every faculty assesses. Mathematics depends on the university: Wits and Rhodes set a minimum Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy result, while UCT does not require Mathematics. No other specific school subject is prescribed for law.
Can I study law if I don’t meet the APS?
Yes, through another route. You can complete a BA Law or BCom Law and then do the two-year LLB, or finish any degree and apply for the three-year graduate LLB. Unisa’s distance LLB has a lower admission score and also accepts a Higher Certificate in Law with a 60% average.
How long does a law degree take in South Africa?
The LLB takes four years from matric. The combined route (a three-year BA Law or BCom Law followed by a two-year LLB) takes five years, and a graduate LLB after an unrelated degree takes three years.
Does an LLB let me practise as a lawyer?
Not on its own. After the degree you must complete practical vocational training, pass the Legal Practice Council’s competency-based assessment and be admitted by the High Court.
Admission requirements change every intake cycle, so confirm subject levels, APS cut-offs and closing dates with each law faculty you apply to, and confirm the route to practice with the Legal Practice Council. For the wider picture see admission requirements.
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