Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced a significant improvement in the performance of candidates in the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
Speaking during the release of the results on Thursday, January 9, 2024, the CS revealed that 1,693 candidates scored a Grade A, marking an increase from the 1,216 students who achieved the same grade in 2023. This number represents 0.18 percent of the over 900,000 candidates who sat for the examination.
Ogamba also noted that 246,391 students attained the university entry grade of C+ and above, representing 25.53 percent of the total candidates. Additionally, 476,889 students managed to score a mean grade of C- and above, while 605,774 candidates scored D+ and above. The improved performance was attributed to the continued implementation of the new grading system introduced in 2023.
The Cabinet Secretary explained that the grading system evaluates students based on their performance in Mathematics, the best-performing language subject, and the five best-performing remaining subjects. This method aims to provide a more balanced assessment of student abilities across various disciplines.
Subject Performance
The 2024 KCSE results also highlighted notable achievements in subject performance. Subjects such as Mathematics Alternative A and B, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History and Government, Geography, IRE, Agriculture, Woodwork, Metalwork, Drawing and Design, Aviation Technology, Computer Studies, Kenyan Sign Language, and Business Studies recorded significant improvements.
However, performance in ten subjects declined compared to the previous year. These included English, Kiswahili, Biology for the Blind, CRE, Home Science, Building Construction, Electricity, French, German, and Music.
Gender Performance
Female candidates excelled in seven subjects, achieving better mean scores than their male counterparts. These subjects were English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, French, Home Science, CRE, and Art and Design. On the other hand, male candidates outperformed females in 23 subjects, including Mathematics Alternative A and B, Biology, Biology for the Blind, Physics, Chemistry, General Science, History and Government, Geography, IRE, Woodwork, Metalwork, Building and Construction, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design, Aviation Technology, Agriculture, Computer Studies, German, Arabic, Music, and Business Studies.
Ogamba commended the efforts of teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in supporting students to achieve these results and expressed optimism about continued improvements in Kenya’s education system.
