UCT offers undergraduate degrees in six faculties: Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment (EBE), Health Sciences, Humanities, Law and Science. Each faculty has its own Faculty Point Score (FPS) and National Benchmark Test (NBT) rules, and the courses and requirements below are for 2027 entry, from UCT’s 2027 NSC admission guidelines.
The minimum for a bachelor’s degree is an NSC with a rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in four subjects. UCT does not use another university’s APS.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
- An NSC with a rating of 4 (50-59%) in four subjects for a degree, or a rating of 3 (40-49%) in four recognised 20-credit subjects for a diploma
- A pass in English Home Language or First Additional Language
- An FPS that meets the faculty threshold
- NBT results if you are normally resident or at school in South Africa (all Health Sciences applicants, wherever they live)
- Applications made online at applyonline.uct.ac.za
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The APS adds your six best subject percentages, leaving out Life Orientation and Advanced Programme subjects, and a subject below 40% scores nothing. The FPS is then worked out by faculty:
- Commerce, EBE, Humanities and Law: out of 600 (equal to the APS)
- Science: out of 800, with Mathematics and Physical Sciences counted twice
- Health Sciences: out of 900 (APS plus NBT percentages)
Offers are banded: Band A (guaranteed), Band B (likely, based on a Weighted Points Score) and Band C (possible, for South African applicants in targeted redress categories only).
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Examples of UCT’s course requirements by faculty for 2027 entry:
- Humanities (BA, BSocSc): minimum FPS 380, Academic Literacy NBT at Intermediate, English 50% (Home Language) or 60% (First Additional Language)
- Commerce (general BCom/BBusSc): FPS 430 for possible admission, Mathematics 60%, NBT Upper Intermediate for Academic and Quantitative Literacy. The Commerce undergraduate page lists the degrees and specialisations
- Law (LLB): Band A and Band B at 500 or above, NBT Proficient for Academic Literacy
- Science: FPS 550 or more, Mathematics 70%, Physical Sciences 60% (2025 faculty document, so confirm for your intake)
- EBE: FPS is out of 600 and includes English, Mathematics and four other subjects (2025 faculty document)
- Health Sciences: see UCT medicine requirements
For the full list of UCT courses in each faculty, use the faculty pages on uct.ac.za, since each faculty lists its own programmes.
Documents and Application Requirements
Apply at applyonline.uct.ac.za and choose up to two programmes. The application fee is R100 (South Africa and SADC) or R300 (outside SADC) and is non-refundable. Send certified electronic copies of your documents to [email protected]. School learners submit all results from Grade 11 to September of Grade 12, and include their NBT registration number in the application. Read the application procedure before you submit.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Applications for 2027 closed on 31 July 2026, and late applications are not considered. Check the application procedure page for later dates. Grade 11 learners cannot apply, since applications are made in the year before registration.
Register for the NBTs on the NBT website before you apply. The site lists R195 for the Academic and Quantitative Literacy test and R390 with Mathematics, so confirm the current price. Science and EBE require the tests but do not use the results for admission.
Frequently Asked Questions
What courses does UCT offer?
Undergraduate degrees across Commerce, EBE, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law and Science. Each faculty lists its programmes on uct.ac.za.
Do I have to write the NBTs?
Yes, if you are normally resident or at school in South Africa. Health Sciences applicants must write them wherever they live.
How is the Faculty Point Score calculated?
From your six best subject percentages, excluding Life Orientation. It is out of 600 for Commerce, EBE, Humanities and Law, 800 for Science and 900 for Health Sciences.
Does an APS from another university transfer?
No. UCT uses its own FPS, calculated by faculty.
Does meeting the threshold guarantee a place?
No. Only Band A offers are guaranteed. Conditional offers also depend on your final results.
Source: University of Cape Town admissions, checked October 2026. Confirm programme requirements with the UCT Admissions Office. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.