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 2025 KCSE results, comparing the performance of students this year to that of previous years.
Quick Facts
- The total number of students who sat the KCSE exam in 2025 was 993,226.
- The total number of female registered students was 501,214, while the total number of male registered students was 492,012.
- A total of 1,932 students scored an A in 2025.
- A total of 270,715 students are eligible for university admission, having scored a grade of C+ or higher.
More females were registered for KCSE in 2025 than males
According to the Kenya National Examinations Council, the number of female students registered for the KCSE exceeded that of males for the second year.
The number of males who registered for KCSE in 2025 was 492,012, while the number of registered females was 501,214.
The total number of students registered for KCSE in 2025 was 993,226.
Overall, 993,226 students registered for KCSE in 2024, an increase from 965,172 in 2024.[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 in 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 indicate that only 25.5% of students attained a grade of C+ 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.