2022 KCSE test scores show students rebounding after the pandemic

January 20, 2023

More students who sat the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) last year are set to join universities and colleges across the country after scoring higher quality grades in comparison with 2021.

KCSE test scores published Friday by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu indicate that a larger percentage of learners attained C+ grade, which is the minimum university entry mark.

Out of the 881,416 students who were tested last December, 19.03 percent or 173,345 scored got C+ and above relative to 17.55 percent or 145,776 who achieved a similar score in 2021.

Analysis by the ministry shows that a total of 17 subjects posted significant improvement in mean score, an increase from 11 subjects that recorded a notable upswing in average score in 2021.

For instance, there were 1,146 A-listers, an improvement of 0.14 percent from the 1,138 reported previously.

The total number of candidates who scooped Grade C+ and above increased by 19.03 percent to 173,345 from the 145,776 candidates reported in 2021.

Similarly, the number of candidates who posted the lowest grades decreased in KCSE 2022 compared to 2021 with 522,588 (59.14 percent) compared to 444,251 or 53.3 percent who were reported in 2021.

Overall, some 881,416 candidates sat the 2022 KCSE test compared to 826,807 students in 2021, representing an increase of 6.6 percent or 54,609 students in 2021.

Even on the lowest grade, E, the ministry noted a significant drop in the proportion of students who obtained the ominous score from (46,151) in 2021 to 30,822 last year.

CS Machogu was pleased with the realization of gender parity in last year’s national exam where 443,644 (50.33 percent) students were male while 437,772 (49.67 percent) were female.

Mr Machogu also seized the moment to appraise the nation on various reforms set to be instituted in the education sector following recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms, particularly the much anticipated junior secondary school in existing primary school and the resumption of learning next week.

“The ministry has moved to provide interim guidelines on the Junior Secondary School education, including the announcement made this week that Grade 7 learners will report to their respective schools on January 30th, 2023.

“Additionally, I also announced that the government will spend Kes9.6 Billion on capitation grants to learners of Junior Secondary School for Term One and Term Two of 2023, with each of them receiving an individual capitation of Kes15,000 per year,” said Mr Machogu.