Calculate University Entry Points

Now that the excitement of passing the A’ Levels has worn off and the five page newspaper spread of the best performing students has been used to light the sigiri (charcoal stove), it is time to find out whether you qualify for the course you intend to study at university. Yes, news flash, it is not enough to just pass your A’ Levels; you need a few more points from the O’ Levels to qualify for university.
Public universities like Makerere, MUBS and Kyambogo follow a similar weighting system while the private universities might have varying weighting systems. But let’s focus on the public universities’ weighting system. It entails multiplying what you scored in the Essential subjects (normally just 2 or 1 for some courses) by 3, what you scored in the Relevant subject by 2, what you scored in the Desirable subject by 1 and other subjects by 0.5.
Note: Different Colleges/ courses consider different subjects in these categories, for example, Biology and Chemistry are essential for medicine while for a Bachelor in Software Engineering, Maths and Physics are essential.


Let’s use an example. If for your A ‘level combination you had PEM/ENT and got an A in Physics, a B in Economics, a C in Math, a D in Entrepreneurship and 1 point in General Paper (GP), and say you applied to the College of Computing and Information Studies at Makerere University to study Information Technology (IT), you will find that Physics, Economics and Math are all essential subjects for I.T. Therefore, the subjects where you performed best are considered.
Check out other subjects considered essential for I.T at www.mak.ac.ug/sites/default/files/downloads/MoES-PUJAB-Info-2014-15-Mak-Weighting-System-CoCIS
Keeping in mind that; A=6 points, B=5, C=4, D=3, E=2, O=1 and F=0, this is how many points you would have – Essential: Physics 6x3=18, Economics 5x3=15 Relevant: Math 4x2=8 other: ENT 3x0.5=1.5, GP=1x0.5=0.5 Subtotal: 43 Points
This subtotal is then added to the O’ Level points, which are got by multiplying your distinctions, credits and passes by the pre-set weights i.e. D1 and D2 by 0.3 points, C3 to C6 by 0.2 ,P7 & P8 by 0.1 and Fail (9) by 0. For instance if you got only 2 distinctions in O’level e.g. in English and Geography, then the 2 would be multiplied by 0.3  (2x0.3=0.6), work out the credits and passes respectively and add to the subtotal above. For the girls, thanks to affirmative action, they have an extra 1.5 points.
P.S Things like the number of essential subjects may differ depending on the university, college/faculty or course. I would advise you to find out the specific weighting system that applies to you way beforehand. These can be found online or at the university.

Share on Google Plus

About Matovu George William

Born on the 25th November. Am a freelance website designer,Mobile App programmer and Technology blogger with clientlists and portfolios focused on arts, music, film and community work. Dedicated advocates of Clean, accessible design and have a sharp attention to detail. Since November 2007, i have a strong management and communication skills. I Keep aware of current web and print technologies and trends. Am a diligent Internet researcher. I also have a passion for typography, having designed a number of my own fonts. Panoramic photography is an activity that has always been a hobby, but which we are now bringing into my professional work.