A higher certificate pass is awarded on your Grade 12 National Senior Certificate results and is the entry-level achievement permitting higher education study. It makes you eligible to apply for higher certificate programmes.
If your results fall below diploma or bachelor pass level, this is the route that keeps higher education open. Completing a higher certificate can qualify you for a diploma and from there for degree study.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Applications are generally assessed on the following.
- The number of subjects passed and the percentage achieved in each
- A minimum standard in your home language
- A higher minimum in a set number of your other subjects
- A lower minimum permitted in a limited number of subjects
- Life Orientation, which is treated separately in most university points calculations
- Compliance with the national policy in force for your examination year
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The pass level is determined by how many subjects you pass and the percentage achieved in each, with the lowest thresholds of the levels that permit further study.
The thresholds for each pass level are set in national policy by the Department of Basic Education and can be adjusted. Confirm the current definition with the department or your school rather than relying on a figure published elsewhere. If you are close to a higher pass level, supplementary examinations or rewriting specific subjects may be worth investigating with your school.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Higher certificate programmes express requirements as minimum percentages in named subjects. Language results matter across almost all of them.
Mathematical Literacy is widely accepted at this level, which is the practical reason the route is open to applicants excluded from degree study.
Documents and Application Requirements
Applications normally require the following.
- A certified copy of your identity document
- Your National Senior Certificate or latest statement of results
- Proof of the application fee, where one is charged
- Your final matric results, used to confirm any conditional offer
- A SAQA evaluation certificate, if you hold a foreign qualification
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Plan the articulation route before enrolling, since a certificate in an unrelated field may not lead where you want to go.
Institutions have limited places even for higher certificates, and they are popular precisely because they are accessible. Apply early. See bachelor pass requirements and diploma pass requirements for the levels above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I study with a higher certificate pass?
Higher certificate programmes at universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges.
What if I am just below a diploma pass?
Ask your school about supplementary examinations or rewriting specific subjects, and consider the higher certificate route in the meantime.
Does it accept Mathematical Literacy?
Widely, which is what makes the route accessible.
Is admission automatic?
No. Institutions have limited places and higher certificates are popular precisely because they are accessible.
Confirm the current thresholds with the Department of Basic Education and articulation routes with each institution. See matric pass requirements. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.