How to calculate your MDCAT aggregate
Your MDCAT aggregate turns three results into one merit score: matric percentage × 10%, plus FSc percentage × 40%, plus MDCAT percentage × 50%, with matric and FSc out of 1,100 and the MDCAT out of 180. Check your university's prospectus, because admission bodies can use different weights.
The short version
- Turn each result into a percentage. Matric 1,000 ÷ 1,100 = 90.909%; FSc 980 ÷ 1,100 = 89.091%; MDCAT 160 ÷ 180 = 88.889%.
- Multiply each by its weight. 90.909 × 10% = 9.091; 89.091 × 40% = 35.636; 88.889 × 50% = 44.444.
- Add the three parts. 9.091 + 35.636 + 44.444 = 89.17%.
- Compare with last year's closing merit. Published by your admission body for each college.
Skip the arithmetic. The free MDCAT Aggregate Calculator does this for you, shows the formula and the working with your own numbers, and runs in your browser - nothing you type is uploaded. Also useful: Percentage Calculator, CGPA to Percentage Calculator.
The formula
This 10/40/50 split is the formula most admission bodies have used in recent years. Some institutions weigh things differently - for example 50% FSc and 50% for their own entry test - and the weights can change from one admission year to the next, so always check the current prospectus of the university you are applying to.
Working out the MDCAT score you need
Subtract the matric and FSc parts from your target, then divide by the MDCAT weight. With the marks above and a target of 92%:
Round up, because a fraction of a mark is not possible.
Why the MDCAT matters most
Because the MDCAT carries half of the aggregate and is marked out of only 180, each MDCAT mark is worth about 0.28 aggregate points (50 ÷ 180). Each FSc mark is worth about 0.036 points (40 ÷ 1,100) and each matric mark about 0.009 (10 ÷ 1,100). One extra correct MDCAT answer is worth nearly as much as eight extra FSc marks, which is why a few MDCAT marks can move you many places on a merit list.
Before you rely on the number
Your aggregate is only part of the picture. Admission bodies also set minimum MDCAT pass marks, quotas, domicile rules and any additional marks, and closing merit changes every year and differs between colleges. Use the aggregate to compare yourself with last year's closing merit, then follow the official merit list for your province.