The National Senior Certificate is awarded at several achievement levels, and which one you receive determines what you can apply to study. The levels are, in descending order, a bachelor pass, a diploma pass, a higher certificate pass, and a National Senior Certificate pass.
The thresholds for each level are set in national policy by the Department of Basic Education and can be adjusted. Confirm the current definitions with the department or your school rather than relying on figures published elsewhere.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The pass levels and what each permits are as follows.
- Bachelor pass, allowing application for degree study at a university
- Diploma pass, allowing application for diploma study
- Higher certificate pass, allowing application for higher certificate study
- National Senior Certificate pass, a pass without direct entry to those routes
- Failing to meet the pass requirements, where supplementary or rewrite options may apply
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
Each level is defined by 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.
The structure is consistent across levels: a minimum standard in your home language, a higher minimum in a set number of subjects, and a lower minimum permitted in a limited number of others. What changes between levels is the thresholds.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
The pass level is separate from meeting a programme subject requirements. You can hold a bachelor pass and still be ineligible for a specific degree because you did not take a required subject.
Life Orientation is treated separately from your other subjects in most university points calculations, and several institutions exclude it entirely from the APS.
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
If your results fall short of the level you need, supplementary examinations, rewriting subjects, or entering at a lower qualification level and articulating upward are all realistic routes. See bachelor pass requirements and diploma pass requirements.
Many students reach degree study through a higher certificate or diploma rather than directly, and institutions are set up to accommodate that. It takes longer but it is a genuine route rather than a lesser one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the matric pass levels?
Bachelor pass, diploma pass, higher certificate pass, and a National Senior Certificate pass, in descending order of what they permit.
Where do I confirm the exact thresholds?
With the Department of Basic Education or your school, since they are set in national policy and can be adjusted.
Does a pass level guarantee admission?
No. It makes you eligible to apply. Programme subject requirements, points scores and competition all still apply.
What if I fall short?
Supplementary examinations, rewriting subjects, or entering at a lower qualification level and articulating upward are all realistic routes.
Confirm the current pass level thresholds with the Department of Basic Education. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.