Are you scheduled to sit the KCSE examination in March 2021? Or are you a school principal or a parent/guardian? The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has good news for you.

Application for placement to artisan, craft, diploma and degree courses under government sponsorship for the 2021/2022 academic year has commenced in secondary schools / KCSE
examination centres countrywide (school application).

The online application system is open, and will close on March 31, 2021. Here is what you need to know about the school application.

What is Centre/School Application?

This is the first opportunity given to KCSE examination candidates to select, list and submit the courses that they wish to pursue after their secondary education at degree, diploma, craft and artisan level. The application is done in secondary schools/examination centres that have registered KCSE candidates.

Who is eligible to apply?

All candidates qualify for placement to universities or colleges irrespective of their KCSE examination results (grades A to E). Candidates have an opportunity to choose their preferred courses as shown below:

i. Degree courses choices: 1(a), 1(b), 1(C), 2,3 and 4
ii. Diploma course choices: 1,2,3 and 4
iii. Craft course choices: 1,2,3 and 4
iv. Artisan course choices: 1,2,3 and 4

How does the school application happen?

• School principals are required to guide Form Four students in listing the courses they wish to pursue at all levels (degree, diploma, craft and artisan).
• The students are required to list the courses in the order of preference at all the levels.
• The principal/teacher then logs on to the KUCCPS portal (schools.kuccps.net), enters and submits the choices following the guidelines provided in the Principal’s Manual, which is available on the portal as a download.
• While submitting the choices, the principal/career teacher is also required to submit the placement fee collected from the candidates as one bulk payment.

Note: All secondary schools with KCSE examination candidates have been provided with access credentials to the KUCCPS portal (schools.kuccps.net).

What are the advantages of school application?

Applying for placement at school (as opposed to after school) has numerous advantages to students:

• Teachers are available to provide career guidance to the students.
• Applying at school benefits students who live in remote areas or lack the necessary facilities such as the Internet at home. A majority of secondary schools have access to the facilities.
• In the past, many KCSE candidates performed well but failed to apply for placement to university and/or college resulting in them failing to be placed to courses of their choice. Applying at school before the KCSE examination ensures this does not happen.
• Students applying at school get an early exposure to courses and careers and tend to make better choices later at the application revision stage.
• Applying at school costs Ksh.500, hence is cheaper compared to submitting choices during the revision of choices, which costs Ksh. 1,500 per applicant.

What is the procedure for submitting students’ choices through the portal for the first time?

Once all the students have submitted their choices, the principal should follow the procedure outlined below.

• Go to your browser and enter the URL schools.kuccps.net or click Principal’s Portal on the KUCCPS website.
• If the school does not have an account in the KUCCPS portal, create one through the ‘New Account’ link. Fill in the relevant verification details and submit.
• Log in with the registered credentials, i.e. a username (TSC No. /ID. No. /PP. No.) and a password.
• Go to the ‘Applications’ tab.
• Click ‘Application Template’. This will download an Excel workbook for you to populate.
• After you have filled the template, click on ‘Upload Form’ and submit.

For detailed guidelines, download and read the Principal’s Manual from the Placement Service website www.kuccps.ac.ke or call 0723954927/ 020 5137400 for guidance.

How much does one pay?

An application fee of Ksh. 500 shall be charged per student.

How do I make payment?

Candidates should submit the application fee to the school, which will in turn make the payments in bulk on behalf of the students. The money is payable to:

• KUCCPS Pay Bill Number: 820201
• Account number: 8 digit center code
• Amount: 500 x number of students

How does one confirm whether the application was submitted successfully?

The principal can generate an application report after successfully submitting the application. The application report should then be shared with the students and parents/guardians.

How can students confirm if their teacher submitted their choices?

KCSE candidates who have listed their preferred courses and paid the required Ksh500 should check with their principal to ensure that their application has been submitted. They can verify using an application report generated from the system after submission of the choices or they can contact KUCCPS for assistance.

What is the role of a parent/guardian in the school/centre application process?

A parent or guardian of a KCSE candidate should advise and guide the student in choosing the right course and thereafter follow up with the school to ensure the student’s choices have been submitted successfully to KUCCPS.

What is the role of a teacher?

Offering career guidance to the students and assisting them to select courses that fit their career dreams and are aligned to their KCSE subjects. They should also ensure that their candidates’ choices are submitted to KUCCPS before the deadline.

What is the role of a KCSE candidate?

Listing the courses they wish to do in university/college by taking into account their interests, personalities, KCSE subjects and projected KCSE result. They should not be swayed by peer pressure but should carefully consider their options and seek guidance from their teachers and parents.

Where can I get more information on different career paths?

The Placement Service has published The Essential Career Guide: Making an Informed Choice, a hand-book for students seeking to prepare adequately for the world of work. It provides insights to course selection, career opportunities, subject requirements and funding opportunities, among others.

The book is available in all the major bookshops at the cost of Ksh. 350. You can also buy it directly from KUCCPS or the Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB), which is the official distributor. A digital copy is available online through https://klbbooks.com.