For many years, a Grade C+ has served as the crucial gateway to university education in Kenya. Each year, thousands of candidates approach the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams with one primary aim: to achieve a C+ or higher. However, this long-standing standard may soon lose its significance.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has raised important questions regarding the relevance of the minimum university entry grade.
Agnes Wahome, the Chief Executive Officer of KUCCPS, asserts that the emphasis on C+ is becoming unsustainable, particularly as Kenya fully embraces the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), also referred to as Competency Based Education (CBE).
Wahome’s comments arrive at a critical juncture, as concerns mount over the significant number of candidates who sat the 2025 KCSE examinations yet failed to achieve the minimum university entry grade.
Wahome articulated the need for a shift in focus during her address on January 27, 2026, stating that the fixation on grades, especially C+, has skewed the perception of educational success.
“This conversation must begin to fade as we transition fully into CBC, as we have overly emphasized grades and the number of individuals gaining university admission,” she remarked.
She highlighted that Kenya’s education system has long prioritized who qualifies for university, neglecting the numerous learners who thrive via alternative pathways. Thousands of students who do not secure direct university entry continue to build robust careers through technical and vocational education.
Many start with certificate courses, progress to diplomas, and later enroll in universities. Yet, these success stories seldom receive media attention.
“Some individuals may not enter university but opt for different life paths, starting with a certificate, advancing to a diploma, and eventually reaching university, yet their stories go untold,” Wahome added.
Under the CBC framework, the focus will shift from mere exam scores to an assessment of practical skills, talents, creativity, and hands-on abilities. Wahome explained that this approach diminishes the significance of rigid grade cut-offs.
She criticized the previous 8-4-4 education system for glorifying C+, which created the false notion that those who fall short have failed. In contrast, the CBC acknowledges that learners possess diverse strengths and should not be denied opportunities based on a single exam.
“I believe we have overly glorified Grade C+ and above, and this conversation will undoubtedly evolve as we embrace Competency Based Education,” she stated.
Currently, learners who do not achieve C+ must pursue alternative routes such as TVET institutions, colleges, and diploma programs.
However, KUCCPS’s remarks indicate a future where university access may become more flexible, recognizing prior learning, skills, and progression instead of relying solely on one-time exam results.
Wahome emphasized that this change will not occur overnight. The C+ cut-off will remain in effect until the government fully completes the transition to CBE, a process anticipated to take approximately two years.
As discussions intensify, the government has acted swiftly to dispel any confusion. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has refuted claims that the university entry grade has already been altered.
In a concise statement, Ogamba urged the public to disregard such reports, reaffirming that the policy remains unchanged.
“The government has not modified the policy regarding the cut-off point for university admission. This cut-off point remains C+ and above,” he asserted.
What KUCCPS signals is not an immediate policy alteration, but rather a shift in mindset. As CBC becomes established, Kenya may gradually move away from relying on C+ as the primary indicator of success.
The pressing question now is not whether C+ will be eliminated, but how swiftly Kenya can cultivate a system that values skills, progression, and diverse pathways to success.
