Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
CPUT publishes a diploma requiring 38 points. On a standard 42-point APS that would be an almost impossible bar for a diploma, which tells you immediately that CPUT is not using a standard APS.
Do not use a generic APS for CPUT
CPUT uses its own Application Point Score, and its programme pages refer to more than one calculation method: requirements are stated as, for example, "APS Score of 36 using Method 2".
The conversion table behind those methods is referenced in CPUT's prospectus documents but was not reachable when this page was written, so this page does not state how a CPUT score is calculated. Guessing at it would be worse than admitting the gap.
Work your CPUT score out from CPUT's own prospectus for the qualification you want. The figure the calculator on this site shows for CPUT is not meaningful and should be ignored.
What is sourced
These come from CPUT's own programme pages and are quoted as published, on CPUT's scale rather than a 42-point one:
| Programme | Published requirement |
|---|---|
| Diploma in Accounting | 38 |
| Accounting, Extended Curriculum Programme | 35 |
| Electrical Engineering | 36, using Method 2 |
| Chemical Engineering, ECP | 30, using Method 2 |
Source: CPUT prospectus, course detail pages
Note the pattern in the first two rows. The Extended Curriculum Programme sits three points below the mainstream diploma. 35 against 38. That is the ECP doing exactly what it is designed to do: providing a supported route into the same field for applicants who fall just short. If you are a few points under a CPUT programme, ask whether it has an ECP version before assuming you are out.
Subject requirements are specific
Alongside the points, CPUT diploma programmes commonly require a defined subject profile. A typical published set is:
- English, Home or First Additional Language, at level 4
- Mathematics at level 3, or Mathematical Literacy at level 4
- Life Sciences at level 4, or Physical Sciences at level 4
Two things worth drawing out. Maths Literacy is accepted for a number of programmes, at one level higher than Mathematics, the same trade seen at VUT and UMP. And the science requirement offers a genuine either/or, which matters if you took Life Sciences rather than Physical Sciences and assumed technical programmes were closed to you.
Where CPUT is
CPUT has campuses across the Western Cape, including Bellville, Cape Town (District Six), Wellington, Mowbray and Granger Bay, plus specialised sites.
Granger Bay is worth knowing about specifically: it houses the maritime programmes, and CPUT is one of very few South African institutions offering Nautical Science and Marine Engineering. If you want to go to sea professionally, the list of places to study is short and CPUT is on it.
Otherwise the spread matters for the usual reason, programmes are attached to campuses, and Wellington is roughly 70km from Cape Town. Confirm where your qualification is taught before planning accommodation.
Who CPUT genuinely suits
- Learners in the Western Cape wanting an applied, occupational qualification rather than an academic degree.
- Anyone interested in maritime studies, where the options nationally are few.
- Students a few points short of a mainstream programme, given the Extended Curriculum Programmes.
- Applicants with Life Sciences rather than Physical Sciences, who have more options here than they may expect.
- Anyone whose score falls short of UCT or Stellenbosch but who wants to study in the Western Cape.
Applying
- Apply directly to CPUT. It is not a CAO institution.
- Use CPUT's own prospectus to work out your score. A generic APS will mislead you here more than anywhere else on this site.
- Check the subject profile as well as the points.
- Ask about the ECP version if you are a few points short.
- Confirm the campus for your programme.
- Residence and funding are separate applications.
Application fees and closing dates are set per cycle and are not stated here. Confirm on the CPUT site.
What people get wrong when applying to CPUT
Comparing a 42-point APS to a CPUT figure
They are not the same measure. A published requirement of 38 is not 38 out of 42.
Assuming a university of technology is a low-points option
CPUT's accounting diploma is among the more demanding requirements on this site once you read it on its own scale.
Not asking about the ECP
The extended version of a programme can sit several points lower and leads to the same qualification.
Ruling yourself out without Physical Sciences
Many CPUT programmes accept Life Sciences as an alternative.
Where to next
- All South African universities
- UCT, Stellenbosch and UWC: the other Western Cape institutions
- Study options with a lower APS: extended programmes explained