The Higher Certificate Pass is the lowest level of National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass that a student can achieve. However, this does not mean that a student cannot pursue any courses in tertiary education.
A Higher Certificate is one of the types of matric passes learners can get once they finish their matric year and receive their results. Getting a higher certificate pass means you can pursue a higher certificate in tertiary education.
To obtain a Higher Certificate Pass, a student:
- must achieve at least 40% for their Home Language subject.
- must achieve at least 40% in two other subjects excluding Life Orientation
- must achieve at least 30% in any other three subjects.
- can only fail one subject
- must have at least 15 APS points
Failing to achieve a bachelors pass doesn’t mean you are not able to study at tertiary level. Although a Higher Certificate Pass does not allow one to study at a degree level, there are higher certificate courses offered by various institutions in South Africa.
Universities that accept Higher Certificate Passes are as follows:
- University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- University of South Africa (UNISA)
- MANCOSA university
- IIE Rosebank College
- Varsity College
- TVET colleges such as False Bay TVET College
- University of Free State
- Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein
- Nelson Mandela University in Gqerberha
To find out more about these institutions, head to our Where To Study section.
Higher Certificate courses can include insurance, tax administration, accounting sciences, logistics, and education, along with other options. Depending on the number of modules taken each year, students can achieve a higher certificate qualification in three years.
Other job choices a student can pursue that do not require a higher certificate pass include childcare, wedding planning, and tourism, among other options.
Programmes and courses a student is able to take with a Higher Certificate may be advantageous as it is a great way to increase practical skills and knowledge within a chosen career path.
