NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 27 – The long-standing Grade C+ cut-off mark for university admission may soon be scrapped, as Kenya fully transitions to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), according to Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) Chief Executive Officer Agnes Wahome.
Speaking on Tuesday, January 27, Wahome said continued reliance on the minimum university entry grade is becoming unsustainable, especially after a large number of candidates who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations failed to attain the required Grade C+.
“Now, this is a conversation that should start fading away as we move fully into CBC, because we have over-emphasised grades and used them as the main measure of success, especially in terms of who gets into university,” Wahome said.
She argued that the country has for years placed disproportionate emphasis on examination grades, particularly the number of students qualifying for university, while paying little attention to alternative education pathways that can also lead to successful careers.
The KUCCPS chief explained that many learners who miss out on direct university entry can still progress through certificate and diploma programmes before eventually enrolling in degree courses a pathway that often goes unrecognised in public discourse.
“What happens is some students may not go straight to university, but they take another route, starting with a certificate, moving to a diploma, and still end up in university. But nobody talks about them,” she added.
Wahome noted that the outgoing 8-4-4 education system heavily promoted Grade C+ as the ultimate benchmark of success, a culture she said will change as the country completes the shift to Competency-Based Education (CBE).
Under the new system, she said, greater emphasis will be placed on practical skills, talents, and hands-on abilities rather than examination scores alone.
“We have over-glorified Grade C+ and above, and that conversation will definitely change when we fully embrace Competency-Based Education,” Wahome said.
