The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) is a national exam administered annually to students in their final year of secondary education. The exam determines which students proceed with university education.
In this article, we analyze the 2024 KCSE results while comparing the performance of students this year to previous years.
Quick Facts
- The total number of students who sat the KCSE exam in 2024 was 962,512.
- The total number of female registered students was 483,523, while the total number of male registered students was 481,649.
- A total of 1,693 students scored an A in 2024, comprising 1,137 males and 556 females.
- A total of 246,391 students are eligible for university admission, having scored a C plus and above.
More females were registered for KCSE in 2024 than males
According to the Kenya National Examinations Council, the number of females registered for KCSE exceeded that of males for the first time.
The number of males who registered for KCSE in 2024 was 481,649, while the number of registered females was 483,523.
The total number of students registered for KCSE in 2024 was 965,172.
In 2023, the number of females registered for KCSE was 450,675, while the number of registered males was 452,463.
Overall, 965,172 students registered for KCSE in 2024, an increase from 903,138 in 2023.[1]
More males than females scored a C+ and above.
Male students were overrepresented in the higher grades above C+. Of the 1,693 students who scored an A-plain in 2024, 556 were females, while males were twice the number of females, at 1,137.
The same trend persists among students who scored an A minus through a B plus.
The number of males with an A minus was 4,903, while the number of females was 2,840.
The chart below shows the total number of males and females who scored a C plus and above.
In 2024, 129,311 male students scored a C plus and above, and 117,079 females did the same.
Males are overrepresented in lower grades below C-plus
Even though more males than females scored a B minus and above in 2024, the share of males scoring lower than a C plus was equally higher in males than females. This suggests that males are overrepresented in higher and lower grades.
For instance, 58% of those who scored an E were males, compared to 42% who were females. Moreover, more males (52%) scored a D minus than females (48%).
There were more females between grades C plus and D plain. The proportion of females scoring a C plus was 51% compared to 49% of males. More females (52%) scored a C plain compared to males (48%).
Only a quarter of the students are eligible for direct university admission.
KCSE students are required to attain a minimum grade of C plus to be eligible for direct university admission. Results from the 2024 KCSE suggest that only 25.5% of the students attained a C plus and above.
The total number of students with a C plus and above was 246,391 in 2024.
A total of 712,537 students did not attain the minimum grade of C plus needed for university admission.
As the chart below shows, a majority of these students scored lower grades, with the largest number scoring grade Ds.
The table below shows the number of male and female students who attained each grade in the 2024 KCSE.
|
GRADE |
TOTAL |
MALE |
FEMALE |
|
A |
1,693 |
1,137 |
556 |
|
A- |
7,743 |
4,903 |
2,840 |
|
B+ |
19,150 |
11,042 |
8,108 |
|
B |
43,120 |
23,339 |
19,781 |
|
B- |
75,347 |
39,950 |
35,397 |
|
C+ |
99,338 |
48,940 |
50,398 |
|
C |
111,717 |
53,769 |
57,948 |
|
C- |
118,781 |
56,175 |
62,606 |
|
D+ |
128,885 |
60,088 |
68,797 |
|
D |
153,334 |
73,501 |
79,832 |
|
D- |
151,487 |
79,306 |
72,181 |
|
E |
48,333 |
28,221 |
20,112 |
See Also
- National Government Expenditure on Education in Kenya
- Do A Students Work for C Students – Kenya Perspective
References
[1] The Kenya Economic Survey 2024.