Medicine (MBChB or MBBCh) has no single national entry requirement. Every South African medical school sets its own subject levels, points score and selection process, and all of them say that meeting the minimum does not guarantee a place. What they share is a bachelor’s-level NSC pass with Mathematics and science subjects at high levels; Mathematical Literacy is not listed as acceptable in the published requirements of the schools covered here.
The figures below are the 2027-intake requirements where the school publishes them. Applications for 2027 have closed at the schools listed, so use this page to plan for a later intake and confirm the dates with each school.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Published minimums for the 2027 intake (confirm the current figures with each school):
- Wits: English (Home Language or First Additional) level 5, Mathematics level 5, and Life Sciences and/or Physical Sciences level 5, plus the National Benchmark Test (NBT).
- UCT: English 65%, Mathematics 70%, Physical Science 70%, and 70% for your next three best subjects excluding Life Orientation; APS of at least 450; NBT results in the Intermediate range.
- University of Pretoria: English level 5, Mathematics level 6, Physical Sciences level 5 and an APS of 35 (NSC or IEB).
- Walter Sisulu University: level 5 (60-69%) in English, Mathematics, Physical Science and Life Science, level 5 in one other subject excluding Life Orientation, and an APS of 30, with additional selection criteria.
- UKZN: the UKZN College of Health Sciences page lists English, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at level 5 and Life Orientation at level 4, with at least a 65% aggregate. UKZN’s School of Medicine page gives different figures (APS of 30 and level 4), so confirm with UKZN before you rely on either.
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The national minimum for any bachelor’s degree is an NSC with at least 30% in the institution’s language of learning and teaching and a rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in four 20-credit subjects. Medical schools ask for much more than that, as the list above shows.
The programme is six years long at UCT, the University of Limpopo, UKZN and Walter Sisulu University. At UCT it is followed by two years of internship and a year of community service before independent practice approved by the HPCSA. Confirm registration requirements with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).
Wits has two entry points: first year for Grade 12 applicants, and third year for graduates. Wits does not take transfer applications. The University of Free State has a selection category for applicants who already hold a qualification, with a minimum 70% average for an NQF level 7 or higher qualification, and caps its intake at 180 students a year.
The University of Limpopo asks for a Grade 12 bachelor’s pass with minimum requirements in English, Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences, and also considers science degree holders who finished in minimum time. Sefako Makgatho University lists a minimum APS of 38 with level 6 in English, Mathematics, Physical Science and Life Sciences on a page that carries no intake year, so confirm its current figures before you plan around them.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Every school above asks for Mathematics at level 5 or higher (or the equivalent percentage), and the University of Pretoria asks for level 6. The science subjects differ: Wits accepts Life Sciences and/or Physical Sciences, UKZN, Limpopo, Sefako Makgatho and WSU name both Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, and UCT and UP list Physical Sciences with no separate Life Sciences minimum in their published requirements.
APS also differs by school. UP’s highest possible APS is 42 (six 20-credit subjects, Life Orientation excluded), and its minimum is 35. UCT states its minimum as 450, so do not compare that figure directly with UP’s 35. UKZN ranks applicants on their average percentage rather than APS.
Documents and Application Requirements
Document lists are set by each school. The University of Limpopo, for example, asks for:
- Your ID document or passport
- Your NSC, or your final Grade 11 results stamped by your school if you are still in Grade 12
- Your academic record, if you are studying elsewhere
- A guardian’s ID, if you are under 18
- The non-refundable R200 application fee
The NBT is a separate step at Wits and UCT: Wits requires the in-person pencil-and-paper test, does not consider online results, accepts results valid for three years, and counts only the first attempt from the most recent year. Wits treats an NBT result in the Basic range as an unsuccessful application for the 2027 intake. Check the other schools’ pages for their document lists before you apply.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Closing dates for the 2027 intake have passed. They were 30 June 2026 for Wits and UP, 30 July 2026 for the University of Limpopo, and the end of May for the University of Free State selection. UKZN’s page gives 30 June as its closing date. UCT, Sefako Makgatho and WSU do not show a 2027 closing date on their published pages. Look for the next intake’s dates on each school’s website before the cycle opens.
Selection methods differ. Wits ranks Health Sciences applicants on a Composite Index: your English, Mathematics, best of Physical or Life Sciences and best two other subjects average (75%) and your NBT average (25%). UP selects provisionally on Grade 11 results (English, Mathematics, Physical Science and your next three best 20-credit subjects, excluding Life Orientation and Mathematical Literacy), then confirms offers on your final NSC results. The UP selection document says value-added attributes are not considered. UP also selects in categories, and applicants from countries with their own medical schools are not considered for the MBChB. Sefako Makgatho applies demographic quotas and selects in order of merit.
Because the competition is high, have a second option, such as another health science degree, and apply to more than one school.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for medicine in South Africa?
A bachelor’s-level NSC with Mathematics and science subjects at high levels, an APS at or above the school’s minimum, and, at some schools, an NBT result. UCT, for example, asks for Mathematics and Physical Science at 70% and an APS of 450; UP asks for levels 5, 6 and 5 in English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences with an APS of 35.
What do I need to study medicine at Wits?
For the 2027 intake Wits asked for level 5 in English, Mathematics and Life Sciences and/or Physical Sciences, an NBT, and a place high enough on the Composite Index (75% matric, 25% NBT). Applications for 2027 closed on 30 June 2026.
What APS do I need for medicine?
It depends on the school: UP requires 35, WSU 30, UCT 450 on its own scale, and Sefako Makgatho lists 38 on an undated page. UKZN ranks on average percentage instead. In every case, the minimum does not guarantee a place.
Can I study medicine with Mathematical Literacy?
The published requirements ask for Mathematics at level 5 or higher, and Mathematical Literacy is not listed as acceptable. UP also excludes Mathematical Literacy from its Merit Point Score calculation.
Do medical schools use entrance tests?
Wits and UCT require the NBT, with UCT asking for the Intermediate range. UP and Wits publish no interview or questionnaire for school leavers, so check each school’s selection page.
Can I apply for medicine with a degree?
Yes, at some schools. Wits has a third-year entry point for graduates, and the University of Free State has a category for applicants who hold a qualification, with a 70% minimum average for NQF level 7 or higher. The University of Limpopo also considers science degree holders.
What if I am not accepted?
UCT, UP and Wits all state that meeting the minimum does not guarantee a place. Apply to more than one school and keep a second choice in another health science programme.
Confirm the exact subject levels, APS and closing dates with each medical school, and registration with the HPCSA. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.