University of Pretoria (UP)

Written by Mohapi · Last updated 15 August 2026 · How these figures are checked

UP is the university where the National Benchmark Test most often catches applicants by surprise, because whether you need to write it depends on something other than your total score.

The NBT, and when it becomes compulsory

This is the part worth reading twice, because the rule is not "high scores are exempt".

UP requires the National Benchmark Test from applicants who meet the minimum APS but do not comply with the subject requirements. In other words, the NBT is the mechanism for applicants whose total is adequate but whose subject profile is not. It gives them a route to demonstrate readiness that their subjects alone do not show.

Two consequences that catch people out:

• A strong total does not exempt you. UP material specifies that applicants with an APS of 30 who do not comply with subject requirements must write the NBT. The trigger is the subject mismatch, not the score.
• The NBT is not applicable to selection programmes. Programmes that run their own selection process handle it differently, so writing the NBT is not automatically useful for those.

Practically: work out early whether you comply with the subject requirements for your programme. If you do not, budget for the NBT. It must be booked and written, and there are limited sittings. Leaving it until you have an outcome from UP is leaving it too late.

Subject requirements carry real weight here

UP applies subject-specific minimums alongside the APS across its faculties, and they are enforced. A high total with a weak result in a required subject is a common decline, particularly for engineering, health sciences and the natural sciences where Mathematics and Physical Sciences levels are specified directly.

Per-programme minimum APS values and per-subject levels are set per qualification and revised each intake. They are not reproduced here, the current figures are in the UP admission requirements document linked above and in the relevant faculty's material.

Where UP is

UP is in Pretoria, Gauteng, across several campuses. Hatfield is the main one; Groenkloof houses education; Onderstepoort, some distance out, is the veterinary science campus; Prinshof is the health sciences campus; and Hillcrest holds sports facilities. Mamelodi campus runs extended programmes.

The spread matters. Onderstepoort in particular is well outside the Hatfield core, so if you are heading for veterinary science your daily logistics look nothing like a Hatfield student's.

Applying

• Apply directly to UP through its online application system. UP is not part of the CAO.
• Check the subject requirements before you apply, so you know whether the NBT applies to you.
• Selection programmes close earlier and run their own processes. Do not assume one deadline covers everything.
• Residence is separate. Apply for accommodation alongside your programme application.

Application fees and closing dates are set per cycle and are not stated here. Confirm both on the UP site.

Who UP genuinely suits

• Learners with strong results in the specific subjects their programme requires, not just a strong total.
• Anyone targeting veterinary science, which UP is the only South African university to offer.
• Students aiming at health sciences, engineering or the natural sciences, where UP's faculties are substantial.
• Learners in or near Pretoria, or with an accommodation plan that accounts for which campus their programme sits on.

What people get wrong when applying to UP