North-West University (NWU) is one of the few higher institutions in South Africa with courses requiring an APS score of 20 or less. The standard APS score for most university courses in South Africa is 22, but in many cases, students fail to reach this score, so they only have two options; either they re-take the matric exams which determine these APS scores, or they apply for one of these courses I’m about to list, and I’m pretty sure most students will go with the latter.
It is important to note that if you have an APS score of 20 or less, you will not be able to get a bachelor’s degree course so if that’s what you want, you will have to take the upcoming 2023 matric exams. The ones you can get at NWU are diploma courses.
Courses with 20 APS or Less at North-West University
- Diploma in Coaching Science: APS score from 18+
- Diploma in Music: APS score from 18+
- Diploma in Animal Health: APS score from 19+
- Diploma in Animal Science: APS score from 19+
- Diploma in Plant Science: APS score from 19+
- Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge Systems: APS score from 20+
20 – 25 APS Score Courses at NWU
- Theology Degrees: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Foundation Phase Grade R – 3: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Intermediate Phase Grade 4 – 6: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Senior and Further Education and Training Grade 7 – 12: APS score from 24+
- Education (BEd) in Senior and Further Education and Training Grade 7 – 12: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Science in Agriculture: APS score from 22+
- Bachelor of Science in Agriculture: APS score from 22+
- Extended Bachelor of Science: APS score from 22+
- Extended Bachelor of Science in Information Technology 22+
- Bachelor of Health Sciences: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Social Sciences: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Arts in Behavioural Sciences: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Consumer Studies: APS score from 24+
- Bachelor of Consumer Sciences in Food Product Management: APS score from 24+
- BA in Public Governance: APS score from 25+
- BA Language and Literary Studies: APS score from 24+
APS Requirement for Faculties at North-West University
| Faculty | APS Score |
| Economic and Management Sciences | 24+ |
| Education | 24+ |
| Engineering | 24+ |
| Health Sciences | 24+ |
| Humanities | 22+ |
| Law | 28+ |
| Natural and Agricultural Sciences | 26+ |
| Theology | 24+ |
How to Calculate APS Score at NWU
If you have not calculated your APS score for your NWU application 2025 yet, I will teach you how to calculate it. This score is calculated from your top 6 subjects in your matric examinations, excluding Life orientation. This calculation is a bit confusing to do yourself, so I recommend you use the APS calculator provided by North-West University.
