KCSE Grading System 2023 – Per Subject
KCSE Grading System 2023 | Check how Kenya Certificate Of Secondary Education examination is graded…
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) uses a grading system to evaluate the examination performance of students who sit for the KCSE exams. Currently, KCSE results are determined by a 12-point grade system. This grade will determine the kind of tertiary institution that a student can join. Here is a breakdown of the current KCSE grading system.
KNEC recently released the KCSE grading system they will use for the 2019 national examinations. The system is based on a numeric 12-point scale from 1-12 and an expanded letter grade ranging from A to E (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E).
The expanded letter grade means C+ is the ‘pass’ grade that allows students to join a public university. It is a grade most students can aim for when sitting for their exams. Many universities and employers consider grades C to E as insignificant nowadays. A is the best grade a student can strive to get. It takes a mixture of grades A- to B- for a student to enroll in a good university.
The KCSE grading system attempts to measure the breadth or depth of learning in Kenyan schools. It also measures competence levels and quality of performance in students. In previous years, KNEC used the grading system as a standard measure of comparing students.
But this has changed since the Education Department uses it as a tool to assess learning. Students can use the system to reveal their next learning steps. For example, students who score B+ in Biology, Mathematics, and English can choose to learn medicine in university.
Although a student may sit for the national examinations, KNEC may not award the student a mean grade for several reasons. This can happen if a student does not meet the set requirements for getting a certificate.
In this case, a candidate will have a grade of:
- U – it indicates a candidate has not met the criteria for a certificate award
- W – it indicates KNEC has withheld a candidate’s results for various reasons
- X – it indicates a candidate was not present throughout the exams
- Y – it indicates KNEC has canceled a candidate’s results because of irregularities
- Z – it indicates a candidate has not met the registration requirements
How the grading system works
KNEC grades candidates who sit for 7 or more KCSE subjects during the national examinations. The examinations body puts all subjects into five groups. These groups include:
- Group I – These are compulsory subjects all students must sit for during exams. They include English (101), Kiswahili (102), and Mathematics (121).
- Group II – The group consists of four science subjects. However, a student must sit for at least two subjects during the exams. They include Biology (231), Physics (232), Chemistry (233), and General Science (237).
- Group III – The group consists of five humanities subjects. A student must sit for at least one subject during the exams. They include History and Government (311), Geography (312), Christian Religious Education (313), Islamic Religious Education (314), and Hindu Religious Education (315).
- Group IV – There are eleven subjects in this group. The subjects include: Home Science (411), Art and Design (442), Agriculture (443), Woodwork (444), Metalwork (445), Building Construction (446), Power Mechanics (447), Electricity (448), Drawing and Design (449), Aviation Technology (450), and Computer Studies (451).
- Group V – The groups consists of subjects from languages and business studies. They include French (501), German (502), Arabic (503), Kenya Sign Language (504), Music (511), and Business Studies (565).
A student can choose the seventh subject from Group II or Groups III, IV or V. To get a mean grade based on the KCSE grading system 2018, KNEC averages a student’s score in all the seven (7) subjects.
The table below shows grades and marks and their corresponding points based on the current KCESE grading system.
Based on the current KCSE grading system per subject, it shows that the 2018 KCSE examinations will not be as challenging as previous ones. A student is more likely to get a grade of A by scoring 81 or above. Had the highest numeric aggregate grade started from 80, for example, it would suggest students will find this year’s exams a bit harder.
Marking of exams
During the marking of KCSE examinations, KNEC does not give candidates a percentage mark to get a particular grade. Instead, they publish KCSE grades and points to indicate the general performance of students. The examinations body sets grades by combining expert judgment and statistics to come on an agreeable grade boundary.
Exam papers are not the same. They vary in difficulty. As such, the experts set grade boundaries to reflect the current performance of all students. The purpose is to ensure candidates do not get lower grades just because they sat for more difficult papers than previous years’. After agreeing on grade boundaries, KNEC applies them to students’ marks to give them a grade.
KCSE examiners are teachers experienced in respective subjects. The examinations body selects them carefully and trains them before they can mark the exams. It is essential that they use the same standards when marking the exams so that KNEC can award students the right grades.
Before schools can receive the results, senior examiners conduct final checks on all the marking. The purpose is to ensure no errors and that the standards were met during the marking of the exams.
The Kenya National Examinations Council does not use percentages in the grading system. They replace them with letter grades to create a mean grade. Kenyan universities do not use percentages from KCSE results when enrolling students too. Instead, they use the mean grade to determine a student’s rank in the concluded exams. This strategy means that the KCSE grading system gives a better measure of a student’s performance than the traditional marking system. KCSE Grading System 2023
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This site is awesome.and the current grading system i s fair to all students..i love it.
grading per subject not yet mentioned
kcse grading system per subject 2019
Let the setting of Biology papers be fair to learners. If theory papers were poorly performed, then let grading system be harmonised.
why you lower grades
Grading system per subject not mentioned
each subject should have a grading system
I’m a student and I really request cs to lower the grading system for maths ,chem, physics and Kiswahili as it was poorly done ,, humble request
Well said
Let the grading system be fair starting from biology and kiswahili
The grading is fair and achievable
Let kcse 2020 be fair considering that student were affected sycologically
Let the grading system of Biology and Languages be checked
The grading system is awfully achievable and equal to all. Cs thanks alot
I only appeal to the knec and relevant agencies to be fair to private candidates sitting exams. It is evident that majority of adults sitting exams as private candidates are being graded unfairly. Records from 2016 onwards are wanting. The marking and grading should be done with fairness for all groups. Some of these private candidates studied late because of poverty or many other reasons.
2022/2023 grading system should be well checked and should be fair to all more to us 2022/2023 kcse candidates !!!!! Big up to the CS i hope he will adhere to my request.
I us a
student I just hope for the best🙏
I request kiswahili paper 3 the essay questions be marked one point two marks pleas it wa poorly done
May the chemistry and biology grading be checked else we might end up lacking doctors and nurses
Please lets be fair to our 2021 candidates by grading them well unlike the other years be blessed
Hi
Check grading system on chem please
Grading system for aviation technology please
Let the grading system be fair please humble request
The grading system should be slightly changed
Grading system of maths iangaliwe
Let the grading be fair lenners ,,, May the exam were hard.
The grading system for mathematics kiswahili and chemistry should be lowered
I request cs to lower the grading system for mathematics kiswahili and chemistry
I am requesting for the grading system for 2021 exam
I request cs to lower the sciences grading to enable us to pursue our career