Unisa sets admission requirements per qualification rather than university-wide, and your admission depends on meeting the specific requirements for the qualification you choose. Unisa calculates an Academic Point Score from your six recognised 20-credit National Senior Certificate subjects, to a maximum of 42, and excludes Life Orientation from the calculation.
Meeting the requirements does not guarantee you a place. Unisa states that some qualifications have limited spaces, and admission is by offer of placement which you must accept online before you can register.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Whatever you apply for at Unisa, the assessment covers the following.
- The specific admission requirements published for that qualification
- Your Academic Point Score, calculated from six recognised 20-credit subjects
- Any minimum percentage required in the language of teaching and learning
- Any subject-specific minimum, such as a percentage in Mathematics
- Whether space is available, since meeting the requirements does not guarantee an offer
- Whether you hold a matric endorsement, if you wrote before 2009
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Unisa offers qualifications at several levels: higher certificates, advanced certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, bachelor degrees, honours degrees, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas. Entry requirements rise with the level, and higher certificates are the most accessible entry point.
Qualifications are grouped by college, including Accounting Sciences, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Human Sciences, Law, and Science, Engineering and Technology.
If you wrote matric before 2009 and do not hold a Senior Certificate with matriculation endorsement, Unisa publishes separate equivalence tables to establish whether you are eligible for degree study. Check those rather than assuming your certificate qualifies.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Unisa calculates the Academic Point Score on the National Senior Certificate 1 to 7 achievement scale, using your six recognised 20-credit subjects. The highest possible score is 42. Life Orientation is a 10-credit subject and is excluded from the calculation.
The rating scale Unisa applies is: 7 for 80 to 100 per cent, 6 for 70 to 79, 5 for 60 to 69, 4 for 50 to 59, 3 for 40 to 49, 2 for 30 to 39 and 1 for 0 to 29 per cent.
Many Unisa qualifications also set a minimum percentage in the language of teaching and learning, commonly 30 or 40 per cent depending on the qualification, and science-related qualifications frequently add a minimum in Mathematics. These subject minimums sit alongside the APS rather than replacing it.
Documents and Application Requirements
Unisa applications generally require the following.
- A certified copy of your identity document
- A certified copy of your National Senior Certificate or equivalent school qualification
- Certified copies of any tertiary qualifications and academic records
- A SAQA evaluation certificate, if you qualified outside South Africa
- Payment of the application fee
- Access to a computer or laptop and the internet, since Unisa teaches by distance and online learning
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Unisa states that meeting the general and specific admission requirements does not guarantee a place, because some qualifications have limited spaces. Admission is by offer of placement, which you must accept online before you can register.
Unisa reserves the right not to process or to cancel a registration if it finds you were incorrectly admitted, so apply for a qualification whose requirements you genuinely meet rather than hoping an error passes unnoticed.
Unisa may recognise prior learning from other institutions, evaluated case by case. Exemptions require a completed DSAR04 form, a certified academic record and a conduct certificate, and are not finalised during the application period, so allow time for it.
If you do not meet the requirements for the qualification you want, a higher certificate is the standard route in. Completing one can open admission to a diploma or degree afterwards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Unisa calculate the APS?
On the NSC 1 to 7 scale, using your six recognised 20-credit subjects, to a maximum of 42. Life Orientation is a 10-credit subject and is excluded.
Does meeting the requirements guarantee admission?
No. Unisa states that some qualifications have limited spaces and that meeting the requirements does not guarantee a place.
What if I do not meet the requirements?
A higher certificate is the usual entry route, and completing one can open admission to a diploma or degree afterwards.
I wrote matric before 2009. Do I qualify?
It depends on whether you hold a Senior Certificate with matriculation endorsement. Unisa publishes equivalence tables to establish eligibility for degree study.
Source: University of South Africa official qualification and admission pages, checked August 2026. Unisa revises qualifications and requirements between academic years, so confirm on the Unisa website before applying. For the wider picture see admission requirements and browse all education requirements.