A distinction at Walter Sisulu University is worth more than the usual 7 points. WSU’s own conversion table splits the top band in two: a mark of 90% or more earns 8, while 80–89% earns 7. A learner with two marks above 90% can therefore reach a higher score here than the standard NSC levels would suggest. That table, and the programme requirements built on it, are in the official 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure & Admission Requirements, a 28-page PDF that WSU posted in May 2026.
Timing still works in your favour. WSU opened 2027 applications on 1 June 2026 and closes general applications on 31 October 2026; international applications closed earlier, on 30 September 2026. The fee is R100 and WSU does not refund it. Our WSU online application guide covers the portal itself, while this page explains the brochure.
An APS built from two categories
WSU adds up six subjects, but not just any six. Category 1 holds a maximum of two languages: your home language and first additional language. Category 2 holds the four other subjects with your highest marks, and those four must include any subject the programme specifically requires. Life Orientation stays out of the total, with one exception printed in the brochure: for the BEd in Foundation Phase Teaching, where LO is a teaching subject, it is added as a seventh subject.
- 90–100%: 8 points
- 80–89%: 7 points
- 70–79%: 6 points; 60–69%: 5 points; 50–59%: 4 points
- 40–49%: 3 points; 30–39%: 2 points; below 30%: 1 point
Programme minimums printed in the brochure
Each faculty section lists a WSU APS and the subject levels that must sit inside it. Here are the entries most applicants ask about, with brochure page numbers.
- MBChB (p. 23): APS 30, with 60% or more in six subjects: English, another African language, Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science and one more subject (not LO). The faculty applies additional selection criteria.
- Bachelor of Nursing (p. 23): APS 24, with 50% or more in those same six subjects. The Bachelor of Medicine in Clinical Practice asks for the same.
- Bachelor of Laws (p. 17): APS 26, with 60–69% or better in English and either 40% in Mathematics or 50% in Maths Literacy.
- Bachelor of Accounting Science (p. 7): APS 27, with at least 60% for English and 50% for Mathematics. This is the faculty’s SAICA-accredited route towards chartered accountancy.
- Bachelor of Commerce (p. 7): APS 25, with 50% for English plus either 40% for Mathematics or 60% for Maths Literacy.
- BEd in Foundation Phase Teaching (p. 9): APS 24. Life Orientation is the major requirement at 60% or more; isiXhosa home language and English first additional language each need 50%, and you need 30% for Mathematics or 50% for Maths Literacy.
- Diploma in Civil Engineering (p. 13): APS 24 for the mainstream and 22 for the extended curriculum programme, with 50% for each of English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences. The extended route accepts one of those three at 40–49%.
Which campus teaches what
WSU is spread over four Eastern Cape campuses, and your programme decides where you will study. Mthatha hosts Economic and Financial Sciences; Law, Humanities and Social Sciences; Medicine and Health Sciences; and Natural Sciences, which also delivers some programmes at Buffalo City. Komani is home to the Faculty of Education, Buffalo City to Engineering, Built Environment and IT, and Butterworth to Management and Public Administration Sciences. Many diplomas also come in an extended curriculum version that takes a year longer.
The brochure gives entry requirements for NSC holders only. If you have the old Senior Certificate, an NC(V) or a foreign school-leaving result, WSU refers you to the detailed faculty prospectus instead. To compare WSU’s points with other universities’ prospectuses, see our 2027 prospectus hub.