1
HIGCSE & IGCSE
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must have matric exemption
must have 4 HIGCSE subjects including English (1st or 2nd language) and Mathematics as well as preferably Chemistry, Physical
Science, or Biology and at least 1 IGCSE subject. They may also have 5 HIGCSE.
only 1,2 or 3 are acceptable for HIGCSE and A,B & C are acceptable for IGCSE
GRADE
1
2
3
HIGCSE
%
75+
60 - 74
50 - 59
POINTS
8
7
6
GRADE
A
B
C
IGCSE
%
70
60
50
POINTS
6
5
4
Double the Maths and highest
Science score and add 3 other
scores and multiply the result by
6/5 (or multiply it by 1.2 because
there are only 5 subjects not the
usual 6).
Must obtain at least 48 points
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)



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must have matric exemption
must have 3 Higher level (HL) subjects
must have at least grade 4 HL Mathematics
must have a Natural Science subject at least 5 at SL or 4 at HL: preferably Chemistry or Physics or Biology
must have English (at least at SL)
must be in possession of the DIPLOMA and not CERTIFICATE of the IB.
must have at least 30 points (include Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge score)
Must obtain at least 48 points on the UCT admissions rating table below:
CONVERSION TABLE:
IB HL is equivalent to A-level points and symbols and SL is equivalent to South Africa’s
Standard Grade symbols and points
A-LEVEL POINTS
10
9
8
7
6
A-LEVEL GRADES
A
B
C
D
E
IB GRADES
7
6
5
4
3
SG SYMBOLS
A
B
C
D
E
SG POINTS
6
5
4
3
2
Double the Maths and best Science subject and add to other scores (not more than 6 subjects and each subject only
used once). From the total subtract 4 points (or X 0,94 will give you the same result).
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2
ABITUR
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
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Point range
at least “Gut” for Mathematics
1,2 or 3 for Physics / Chemistry / Biology
must have English as a 1st or 2nd Language subject
Mark
German rating
1
serh gut (8.5)
2
gut
3
befriedigend
4
ausreichend
5
mangelhaft
6
Must obtain 48 points
Rating
very good
good
satisfactory
adequate
deficient
inadequate
%
85 - 100
70 - 84
55 - 69
40 - 54
20 - 39
0 - 19
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
sehr gut
gut
befriedigend
ausreichend
% range
100 - 95
94 - 90
89 - 85
84 - 80
79 - 75
74 - 70
69 - 65
64 - 60
59 - 55
54 - 50
49 - 45
44 - 40
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A & O LEVELS
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must qualify for a matric exemption from the Matriculation Board
must have at least 2 A-level subjects including Maths and a Science - the rest can be O-level
 must have Mathematics: at least D at A-level or B in Additional Mathematics at O-level
 must have at least E in Chemistry or Physics or Biology at A-level
must obtain at least 48 points (no subject can be counted more than once) as follows:
SYMBOL
A
B
C
D
E
A-LEVEL
%
Rating
70+
10
60 - 69
9
55 - 59
8
50 - 54
7
40 - 49
6
O-LEVEL
%
Rating
70+
6
65 - 69
5
60 - 64
4
Double the Maths and best Science score and add 4 other undoubled best scores (including English) and multiply the result
by 0.914.
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3
AS & O LEVELS
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

must qualify for a matric exemption from the Matriculation Board
must have at least 4 AS-level subjects including Maths and a Science (Only grades A to D are acceptable-) the rest can be O-level
subjects (grades A to C)
 must have Mathematics: at least C at AS-level or B in Additional Mathematics at O-level
 must have at least D in Chemistry or Physics or Biology at AS-level
must obtain at least 48 points (no subject can be counted more than once) as follows: double the Mathematics score and one best
Science subject score and add 2 other best subject undoubled scores.
SYMBOL
A
B
C
D
RATING
AS-Level
8
7
6
5
O-Level
6
5
4
Not acceptable
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AICE
(ADVANCED INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATIONS OF UNIVERSITY OF
CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE)
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must have equivalent of 5 full courses
A - D are considered as passes and only merit or distinction is acceptable.
must have English, Mathematics and Physical Science (refer to Maths & Science Info sheets for details).
to calculate total score: add the scores of the 5 subjects using the table below
each case will be assessed individually
FULL CREDIT COURSES
GRADE
POINTS
A
10
B
8
C
6
D
4
Example: Student scores:
HALF CREDIT COURSES
GRADE
POINTS
A
5
B
4
C
3
D
2
Double the Maths and best
Science score and add other
undoubled scores
(including English) and
divide the result by 0.914.
Maths B, Science C, History A, English B, Biology C
(8 x 2) + (6 x 2) + 10 + 8 + 6 = 52
52 x 0.914
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SYSTEM (James McKay for queries {System’s DBN Office}
(3 SENIOR CERTIFICATE SUBJECTS PLUS 3 SYSTEM SUBJECTS RECOVERY PROGRAMME TO
IMPROVE MATHS & SCIENCE MARKS AT A UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE LEVEL)
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must have passed senior certificate English and another language on the higher grade
must have passed Maths, Chemistry & Physics on the SYSTEM Programme with at least 50% (these 3 count as Maths and
Physical Science[average Chem & Physics scores to get Physical Science score])
symbols same as SA higher grade calculations.
to find the total score: add the 2 SYSTEM scores to the 4 remaining senior certificate scores, and then add the score for Maths
and the best Science score.
points and symbols work roughly as for SA higher grade calculations but each case will be assessed individually.
Example: Student scores:
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Maths A, Physics C, Chemistry A, History C, English D, Biology A, German C
(8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 8 + 6) + (8 + 8) = 56 points
4
UCT: FACULTY OF SCIENCE: BSC SUBJECT ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION SHEET
APPLICANTS MUST OBTAIN AT LEAST 48 POINTS AND MEET THE FOLLOWING SUBJECT ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
PROGRAMME
SPECIALISATION/ MAJOR
MINIMUM
MATHEMATICS
REQUIREMENT
SCIB06
Business
Computing/
Computer
Science/ Applied Computing
D (HG)
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B
/HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
D (HG)
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science OR at least an E on
HG or a C on the SG for Biology or Physiology AND/OR D
(HG) for Computer Studies or Computer Science
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B
/HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
Physics A-level E/ AS-level D/ HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4
(HL) or grade 5 (SL)/
E (HG) or A (SG)
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science OR At least an E on
HG or a C on the SG for Biology or Physiology
Computer Engineering/ Bioinformatics
SCIB12
Archaeology
ENTRANCE
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B
/HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
Environmental
Science
&
Geographical
E (HG) or A (SG)
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B
/HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
MINIMUM PHYSICAL SCIENCE AND/OR OTHER MATRIC
SUBJECT REQUIREMENT
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science
Physics, Chemistry or Biology A-level E/ AS-level D/ HIGCSE
grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL) or grade 5 (SL)
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science OR At least an E on
HG or a C on the SG for Biology or Physiology AND HG
Geography
Chemistry & Geography A-level E/ AS-level D/ HIGCSE
grade 3/IB grade 4 (HL) or grade 5 (SL)
SCIB13
SCIB14
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Atmosphere Science/ Botany/
Ecology/ Evolutionary Biology/
Geology/ Marine Biology/ Ocean &
Atmosphere Science / Zoology
E (HG) or A (SG)
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science
Biochemistry
/
Biotechnology/
Genetics
&
Development/
Microbiology/ Physiology/ Human
Biosciences/ Chemistry
E (HG) or A (SG)
E (HG) for Physical Science
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B/
HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
Chemistry A-level D/ AS-level C/ HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade
4 (HL)
Applied
Science/
D (HG)
E (HG) or C (SG) for Physical Science OR At least an E on
HG or a C on the SG for Biology or Physiology
Mathematics/
Mathematics/
Actuarial
Statistics/
Demography & Statistics
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B/
HIGCSE grade 4/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
Physics
D (HG)
D (HG)
A-level D/ AS-level C/O-level Additional Math B/
HIGCSE grade 4/ IB grade 4 (HL)/
Physics A-level D/ AS-level C / HIGCSE grade 3/ IB grade 4
(HL)/
Physics, Chemistry or Biology A-level E/ AS-level D/ HIGCSE
grade 3/ IB grade 4 (HL) or grade 5 (SL)