Helderberg College Admission Requirements 2025/2026 Intake, Helderberg College courses.
The management of the Helderberg College has released the 2025 Intake entry requirements for successful admission into the undergraduate and postgraduate (Degree, PhD, Masters, Diploma, Certificate, Short Course and Non-Degree) programmes respectively for the 2025 academic year.
Potential students may apply to any of the Helderberg College Courses at any time and be admitted subject to fulfilling all Helderberg College admission entry requirements for the 2025 academic year.
Helderberg College Admission Entry Requirements 2025
To be admitted to Helderberg College of Higher Education, South African applicants must:
- Have a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and be eligible to enrol for degree studies. If you completed your Matric before 2008, you should have a Senior Certificate with exemption.
- Then you will simply meet the admission requirements which are specific to your qualification in this Document
- Submit June results if you are currently in Grade 12.
- Complete the National Benchmark Test (NBT) before coming to the College. Please visit the NBT website. Otherwise, you can also do the test at the College during Orientation, if you do not complete it beforehand.
International Applicants:
You should have the appropriate school leaving / completion certificate from the relevant examination body in your home country (e.g. Angolan Ministry of Education, BEC, ECOL, MNEB, Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (in conjunction with University of Cambridge Examinations Syndicate), Namibian DNEA, ECOS, NECT, ECZ, ZIMSEC).
Take note that the medium of instruction at Helderberg College of Higher Education is English. English must therefore be one of the languages that you passed during High School.
Submit all documents which are relevant to the completion of your high school qualification to the Admissions Committee. Please see the list below:
- A copy of your passport and a photo
- Your high school / school-leaving certificate. If you are still in your final year of high school, please submit your latest examination results. Provide a certified English translation if your certificate is in another language.
- Transcript. Transfer students must attach a certified copy of the original official transcript. Provide certified English translations if applicable.
- TOEFL certificate (for international students who have not received their high school education in English)
- A letter of recommendation from the principal/teacher / lecturer from the last school you attended, or from your church pastor, or employer (if you are working)
If you have not completed your high school education in English, you may have to enrol at the English Language Institute (ELI) at Helderberg College of Higher Education for at least one year. Only once you have completed the Advanced Level and have passed a final language test at Helderberg College of Higher Education, will you be allowed to register for College study programmes.
On the other hand, you must have completed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of at least 550 (paper-based test), or at least 213 (computer-based test) before you may proceed to Helderberg College of Higher Education. You can find details of the TOEFL examination times and locations from the TOEFL website (www.ets.org).
In certain cases, you may be asked to submit your school leaving certificate for evaluation by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The Admissions Office will tell you if this is necessary. You can find forms and information on the SAQA website (www.saqa.org.za).
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND PROGRAMME-SPECIFIC SELECTION REQUIREMENTS:
In order to obtain a South African National Senior Certificate (NSC), a high-school learner must pass seven subjects, four of which are compulsory (two Languages, Life Orientation, and either Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy). International students should have an appropriate school leaving certificate.
Please note that Helderberg College requires English to be one of the two compulsory languages since the medium of instruction at Helderberg College is English.
The following Admissions Points Scores are used to determine admission into the various study programmes:
| NSC Rating % | Helderberg APS |
| 7 | 90-100 | 8 |
| 7 | 80-89 | 7 |
| 6 | 70-79 | 6 |
| 5 | 60-69 | 5 |
| 4 | 50-59 | 4 |
| 3 | 40-49 | 3 |
| 2 | 30-39 | 2 |
| 1 | 0-29 | 1 |
Helderberg College offers the following study programmes:
NQF LEVEL 7 BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Faculty of Social Sciences & Education:
| Qualifications | Minimum APS | English | Other Language | Mathematics/ Mathematical Literacy | Life Orientation |
| Bachelor of Arts in Communication | 25 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 4 (50-59%) or better |
| Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) | 26 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 4 (50-59%) or better | 4 (50-59%) or better |
Faculty of Business:
| Qualifications | Minimum APS | English | Other Language | Mathematics/ Mathematical Literacy | Life Orientation |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) | 27 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 4 (50-59%)or better for Mathematics | 2 (30-39%) or better |
| Bachelor of Business Administration in Management |
25 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 3 (40-49%) in mathematics or 4 (50-59%) in Maths Literacy |
2 (30-39%) or better |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Human Resource Management) | 25 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 3 (40-49%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better |
Faculty of Theology:
| Qualifications | Minimum APS | English | Other Language | Mathematics/ Mathematical Literacy | Life Orientation |
| Bachelor of Arts in Theology |
26 | 4 (50-59%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 2 (30-39%) or better | 4 (50-59%) or better |
NQF LEVEL 5 HIGHER CERTIFICATE
Higher Certificate in Office Management:
| Qualifications | Minimum APS | English | Other Language | Mathematics/ Mathematical Literacy | Life Orientation |
| Higher Certificate in Office Management |
18 | 3 (40 – 49%) or better | 2 (30 – 39%) or better | 2 (30 – 39%) or better | 2 (30 – 39%) or better |
OTHER WAYS YOU CAN BE ADMITTED TO HELDERBERG COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
a) Foundation-year Programme
If you want to study for a degree at Helderberg College of Higher Education, and you do not have a matriculation exemption (before 2009) or if you do not meet the national minimum requirements for entering into a degree programme in terms of the National Senior Certificate (from 2009 onwards), you may apply to enter the Foundation-year programme. In this programme you will do modules which will prepare you for your degree studies. Look at the section below for course contents and rules regarding the foundation year.
b) Mature Age Exemption
If you are at least 23 years old and have passed at least four senior or school-leaving subjects with 40%, with one on the Higher Grade, you qualify for a Mature Age Exemption. You must have passed at least three of the four subjects at the same examination sitting. If you are from a foreign country, you will need to follow the country-specific guidelines on the webpage of the Matriculation Board (www.hesa-enrol.ac.za), as well as programme-specific requirements. If you are 45 years old or older, you qualify for a certificate of conditional exemption from the matriculation examination, without any school qualifications.
c) Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning means that we identify, assess and acknowledge all of your skills, knowledge and capabilities, no matter how and where you acquired them. RPL for access is mainly for those who are over the age of 23 and who don‘t meet the matriculation requirements for admission to undergraduate programmes. The HE Act allows the Senate to use its discretion in admitting students who do not meet the requirements for undergraduate programmes offered by the College. The Matriculation Board also regulates these admissions. Admission via RPL is limited to 10% of enrolment.
Please contact our Admissions Officer, Mr Sivuyile Mdaka on +27 21 850 7569 or on +27 71 871 1539, if you have questions, or if you need more information or application forms.
Mr Sivuyile Mdaka:
Tel: +27 21 850 7569
For more information and inquiries about Helderberg College admission entry requirements, you can contact the by visiting the institution’s official website or campus.
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