NAIROBI, Kenya — The long-standing Grade C+ cut-off for university admission may soon be scrapped as Kenya completes its transition 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 the current university entry requirement is increasingly misaligned with the country’s evolving education system, which places greater emphasis on skills, competencies, and practical learning rather than exam scores alone.
“This is a conversation that needs to start dying off as we get fully into CBC because we have overemphasised grades and measuring success by the number of students who get to university,” Wahome said.
Her remarks come amid concern following the release of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, where a large number of candidates failed to attain the minimum Grade C+ required for direct university admission.
Wahome argued that Kenya has for years placed disproportionate focus on learners who achieve Grade C+ and above, while overlooking alternative education pathways that also lead to successful careers.
According to the KUCCPS boss, thousands of students who do not qualify for direct university admission still progress through certificate and diploma programmes before eventually enrolling in universities.
“Some learners don’t get to university immediately but start with a certificate, move to a diploma, and still end up in university — but nobody talks about them,” she said.
She noted that the now-phasing-out 8-4-4 education system had “glorified” the Grade C+ benchmark, an approach that is expected to change under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
Under the new system, Wahome explained, emphasis will shift to hands-on skills, talents, and practical competencies rather than relying solely on examination performance.
“I think we have overglorified Grade C+ and above, and that conversation will definitely change when we fully embrace Competency-Based Education,” she added.
However, Wahome clarified that the Grade C+ cut-off remains in force for now, as the government is yet to complete the transition to the new system — a process estimated to take about two years.
Her comments come just a day after Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba dismissed reports claiming that the university entry grade had already been revised.
In a statement, Ogamba urged the public to ignore such claims, insisting that the current admission policy remains unchanged.
“The government has not changed the policy on the cut-off point for admission to the university. This cut-off point remains C+ and above,” Ogamba said.
