UCT ranks matric applicants on a Faculty Points Score (FPS), and for every South African school leaver that score depends partly on the National Benchmark Tests. UCT stopped taking 2027 applications on 31 July 2026 and does not accept late ones. The last NBT sitting UCT counts for 2027 admission was on 3 October 2026, so the test results now in hand are the ones that will be used.
The University of Cape Town published its 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus (PDF), an 89-page guide to every first degree, with each faculty’s admission bands. A shorter companion, the 2027 Directions for Undergraduate Applicants (PDF), covers dates, fees, portfolios and the paper application form. Every figure below comes from those two documents.
From percentages to an FPS
UCT starts with an Admission Points Score out of 600: your English percentage plus your five best other subjects, with any subject the programme requires included. Life Orientation never counts, Advanced Programme subjects don’t score, and a subject below 40% earns nothing. Each faculty then adjusts that APS:
- Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Humanities and Law: the FPS equals the APS, out of 600.
- Science: Mathematics and Physical Sciences count double, giving an FPS out of 800.
- Health Sciences: the three NBT scores are added to the APS, giving an FPS out of 900.
For South African applicants, UCT also calculates a Weighted Points Score (WPS) by adding a disadvantage factor based on your school and family background. That factor runs from 0% to 10%, or up to 20% for Health Sciences programmes. Each programme then fills its class in bands: Band A on FPS alone, Band B on WPS, and Band C for applicants in UCT’s targeted redress categories.
Band A cut-offs for six popular programmes
Band A is the “guaranteed admission” line in the prospectus, as long as you meet the subject minimums and NBT levels. Lower bands carry lower scores but are not guarantees.
- MBChB (prospectus p. 43): 810 FPS out of 900 with Proficient NBT scores in AL, QL and Mathematics. Minimums: Mathematics and Physical Sciences 70%, English 65%, the next three subjects 70%, and an APS of at least 450. Band B asks for 807 WPS and Band C for 644 FPS, both with Intermediate NBTs.
- BSc(Eng) Chemical or Mechanical Engineering (p. 37): 500 FPS, Mathematics 80% and Physical Sciences 75%, with all three NBTs written. Band B starts at 480 WPS, and Band C at 420 FPS.
- BCom or BBusSc, most specialisations (p. 27): FPS of 435, Upper Intermediate NBTs in AL and QL, Mathematics 60%, plus English at 50% (Home Language) or 60% (First Additional Language).
- Actuarial Science and Quantitative Finance (p. 28): FPS of 500, Mathematics 80%, English at 60% as a Home Language or 80% as a First Additional Language, and Proficient AL and QL scores.
- Undergraduate LLB (p. 62): 500 FPS with a Proficient AL score and at least Intermediate QL. International applicants need 510 FPS, and UCT accepts no more than ten of them.
- BA or BSocSc (p. 55): FPS 450 with a Proficient AL score guarantees a place. The floor is FPS 380 with an Intermediate AL score; English needs 50% at Home Language level or 60% at First Additional level.
How the 2027 cycle ran
UCT’s window ran from 1 April 2026 to 31 July 2026 for every undergraduate programme. Residence applications shared that deadline, as did the Architectural Studies portfolio. Fine Art portfolios were due by 31 August 2026, the last day to change either of your two programme choices. Grade 12 learners must submit their interim results by 31 October 2026.
The application fee is R100 for applicants from the SADC region and R300 for those outside it, with no fee for current UCT students and graduates. UCT asks you to pay only after it acknowledges your application. Check offers, deferrals and waitlist decisions on the UCT student portal, and see our UCT application guide for the portal steps.
What only UCT asks for
All undergraduate applicants resident or schooled in South Africa must write the NBTs, and so must every Commerce and Health Sciences applicant, wherever they live. Health Sciences wanted the tests written by 31 July 2026 for a conditional offer. Later writers are assessed only once the final NSC results arrive in January 2027. UCT counts the better score per domain if you write twice, and results from 2024 onwards remain valid.
Funding sits outside the UCT application: South African students apply directly to NSFAS, and our NSFAS guide explains that process. For admission queries, email UCT’s Admissions Office at admissions@uct.ac.za.
Does meeting the subject minimums get me into UCT?
No. Both UCT documents say that meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t guarantee a place, because capacity is limited. Your FPS or WPS, your NBT results and your band decide the outcome.
Can I still apply to UCT for 2027?
No. Applications closed on 31 July 2026, and the 2027 Directions guide states that UCT accepts no late applications. Compare other universities’ deadlines on our closing dates page, or browse more guides on our university prospectus hub.