The number of candidates who scored a mean grade of A (plain) in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination rose by 477 from the previous year.
Some 1,693 candidates scored the top grade in last year’s examinations, up from 1,216 in 2023.
A total of 7,743 candidates scored an A-, with 19,150 scoring a B+. Another 43,120 scored a B, followed by 75,347 who got a B-.
Another 99,388 scored a C+, followed by 111,717 who scored a C. Those who scored C- numbered 118,781.
Those with a D+ stood at 128,885; D (153,334); and D- (151,487). Another 48,333 scored an E.
The number of candidates who scored a C+ and above, and who therefore qualify for direct entry into university, stood at 246,391. This translates to 25.53 per cent of the total candidature.
In 2023, those who scored a C+ and above were 201,133, which was 22.3 per cent of the total candidature.
Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Migos Ogamba attributed the rise in the direct entrants to university to the improved grading system in which the overall grade is calculated by considering a candidate’s performance in mathematics, the best performed language among English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language and other five best performed subjects.
The number of candidates who had a C- and above, which qualifies them for technical institutions and diploma courses, is 476,889. This amounts to 49.4 per cent of the total candidates. In 2023, 401,216 reached that mark, which translated to 44.42 per cent of those who sat the exam.
In the 2024 KCSE, the results of 2,829 candidates suspected to have been involved in cheating have been withheld pending completion of investigations.
Mr Ogamba said the investigations “will be completed within a period of 30 days from the official release of the examination results”.
On the same breadth, some 840 candidates were found to have engaged in examination malpractices and had their results cancelled.
For the first time since KCSE began, the number of female candidates (482,202) was higher than that of males (480,310).
Broken down to the counties, Nairobi had females take 52.4 per cent compared to 47.6 per cent for males.
In Kisumu, the female-male percentage was at 52.4 against 47.6 per cent.
In Uasin Gishu, females accounted for 51 per cent as males took 49.
In Nakuru, it was 50.4 per cent taken by females against 49.6 per cent occupied by men.
Only Mombasa City reversed the trend as it had more males (51.2 per cent) compared with females at 48.8 per cent.
Mr Ogamba noted that the near gender parity highlights ongoing efforts to promote equal access to education across the country.
The Education Cabinet Secretary revealed that 965,172 candidates registered for the exam but only 962,512 sat for the 2024 KCSE, marking a 7.1 per cent increase from 899,453 candidates who sat their exams in 2023.
According to Mr Ogamba, the increase in the number of candidates is a testament to the government’s commitment to expanding access to education and ensuring more learners transition through the education system.
Some 70.95 per cent of the registered candidates, amounting to 684,765, were within the age bracket considered appropriate by the Education ministry, which is 17 to 19.
The percentage of candidates who were 20 years and above constituted 22.07 percent, or 259,861.
