The Ministry of Education has dismissed claims that it is planning to make significant changes to the university entrance requirements for candidates for the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE).
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, in a brief statement on Monday, dismissed claims that the government is planning to raise the university entrance grade from the usual C+ grade to B- grade.
Ogamba described the allegations as false and misleading and appealed to Kenyans, especially parents and students, not to be fooled by such reports. The CS was forced to clarify the matter after Kenyans raised concerns following a controversial article claiming that the ministry was planning to raise the entrance marks before the release of the KCSE exams. According to the reported post, CS announced these plans at a press conference, where it stressed the importance of maintaining the quality of graduates in a highly competitive job market.
“This announcement marks a departure from the traditional C+ college entrance grade, which has been the norm for years,” the reported article read in part.
The latest clarification comes as the marking of the KCSE exams draws to a close, with examiners expected to finalize the process before the start of the 2025 school year, which began on November 27, after the conclusion of the KCSE exams on November 22, after three weeks of exams.
This comes after CS Education announced that the exam results would be released in January 2025 and not in December this year due to delays caused by several factors. Ogamba disclosed that the delays were due to the high number of candidates who sat for the examinations and the extensive monitoring currently underway to curb cheating.
According to the CS of Education, 965,501 candidates registered for the 2024 KCSE examinations, the highest number in the history of the national examinations. “This year’s examination is unique because of the large number of candidates. We are taking extra time to ensure that there are no discrepancies or cases of cheating in the results,” a KNEC official told the press.
