The Kenya National Examination Council, Knec, uses a standardized grading system to award marks and evaluate the overall academic performance of students who sit for the KCSE exams annually
As at now the Knec KCSE results are determined using a 12-point grading system.
Overall grade attained by the candidate in question eventually dictates the level of tertiary institution he or she can join.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the current KCSE grading system.
Recently knec released the KCSE grading system used during national examinations.
This system is based on a numeric 12-point scale ranging between 1-12 and an elaborated letter grade ranging from A to E then X and Y i.e (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E, X and Y)
The Significance of the Knec grading system for KCSE candidates
Kcse mean grade of C+ is the ‘pass’ grade that determines the cut-off points for students joining universities on full government sponsorship.
In the that the nature of most Kenyan households, students struggle to attain grade C+ to save their parents from incurring tertiary education tuition fees.
A part from that the majority of employers consider grades C to E insignificant owing to the rising literacy levels and stiff competition for limited white job opportunities. Most candidates who score the aforementioned grades however get placed by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service, KUCCPS, in technical and vocational institutions.
Grade A is the best grade a student can strive to get. It takes a mixture of grades A- to B- for a student to enroll in a good university.
Official KCSE KNEC Grading System 2021-2022
Official KCSE grading system measures all the mastery of the 6 levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. See the image below
Further it measures the competence levels achieved by learners at the end of the four-year courses.
This paradigm shift in the KNEC Grading System
It is recently, KNEC used the grading system as a comparative tool of weighing students abilities.
The KCSE grading system measures all the mastery of the 6 levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. See the image below
It also measures the competence levels achieved by learners at the end of the four-year course.
Here is the latest grading system adopted by knec during the 2018 KCSE examinations;
| Points | 101; ENGLISH | |
| 12 | 80 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 75 – 79 | A- |
| 10 | 70 – 74 | B+ |
| 9 | 65- 69 | B |
| 8 | 60 – 64 | B- |
| 7 | 55 – 59 | C+ |
| 6 | 50 – 54 | C |
| 5 | 45 – 49 | C- |
| 4 | 40 – 44 | D+ |
| 3 | 35 -39 | D |
| 2 | 30 -34 | D- |
| 1 | 0 -29 | E |
| POINTS | 102; KISWAHILI | |
| 12 | 78 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 73 – 77 | A- |
| 10 | 68 – 72 | B+ |
| 9 | 63 – 67 | B |
| 8 | 58 – 62 | B- |
| 7 | 53 – 57 | C+ |
| 6 | 48 – 52 | C |
| 5 | 43 – 47 | C- |
| 4 | 38 – 42 | D+ |
| 3 | 33 – 37 | D |
| 2 | 28 – 32 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 27 | E |
| POINTS | 121; MATHEMATICS | |
| 12 | 70 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 65 – 69 | A- |
| 10 | 60 – 64 | B+ |
| 9 | 55 – 59 | B |
| 8 | 49 – 54 | B- |
| 7 | 43 – 48 | C+ |
| 6 | 37 – 42 | C |
| 5 | 31 – 36 | C- |
| 4 | 25 – 30 | D+ |
| 3 | 19 – 24 | D |
| 2 | 12 – 18 | D- |
| 1 | 0 -11 | E |
| POINTS | 231; BIOLOGY | |
| 12 | 80 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 75 -79 | A- |
| 10 | 70 – 74 | B+ |
| 9 | 65- 69 | B |
| 8 | 60 – 64 | B- |
| 7 | 55 – 59 | C+ |
| 6 | 50 – 54 | C |
| 5 | 45 – 49 | C- |
| 4 | 40 – 44 | D+ |
| 3 | 35-39 | D |
| 2 | 30-34 | D- |
| 1 | 0 -29 | E |
| POINTS | 232; PHYSICS | |
| 12 | 60 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 55 – 59 | A- |
| 10 | 50 – 54 | B+ |
| 9 | 45 – 49 | B |
| 8 | 40 – 44 | B- |
| 7 | 35 – 39 | C+ |
| 6 | 30 – 34 | C |
| 5 | 25 – 29 | C- |
| 4 | 20 – 24 | D+ |
| 3 | 15 – 19 | D |
| 2 | 10 – 14 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 9 | E |
| POINTS | 233; CHEMISTRY | |
| 12 | 65 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 60 – 64 | A- |
| 10 | 55 – 59 | B+ |
| 9 | 50 – 54 | B |
| 8 | 45 – 49 | B- |
| 7 | 40 – 44 | C+ |
| 6 | 35 – 39 | C |
| 5 | 30 – 34 | C- |
| 4 | 25 – 29 | D+ |
| 3 | 20 – 24 | D |
| 2 | 15 – 19 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 14 | E |
| POINTS | 311- HISTORY | |
| 12 | 80 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 75 – 79 | A- |
| 10 | 70 – 74 | B+ |
| 9 | 65 – 69 | B |
| 8 | 60 – 64 | B- |
| 7 | 55 – 59 | C+ |
| 6 | 50 – 54 | C |
| 5 | 45 – 49 | C- |
| 4 | 40 – 44 | D+ |
| 3 | 35 – 39 | D |
| 2 | 30 – 34 | D- |
| 1 | 0 -29 | E |
| POINTS | 312- GEOGRAPHY | |
| 12 | 66 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 61 – 65 | A- |
| 10 | 56 – 60 | B+ |
| 9 | 51 – 55 | B |
| 8 | 46 – 50 | B- |
| 7 | 41 – 45 | C+ |
| 6 | 36 – 40 | C |
| 5 | 31 – 35 | C- |
| 4 | 26 – 30 | D+ |
| 3 | 21 – 25 | D |
| 2 | 16 – 20 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 15 | E |
| POINTS | 313- CRE | |
| 12 | 90 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 85 – 89 | A- |
| 10 | 80 – 84 | B+ |
| 9 | 75 – 79 | B |
| 8 | 70 – 74 | B- |
| 7 | 65 – 69 | C+ |
| 6 | 60 – 64 | C |
| 5 | 55 – 59 | C- |
| 4 | 50 – 54 | D+ |
| 3 | 45 – 49 | D |
| 2 | 40 – 44 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 39 | E |
| POINTS | 443- AGRICULTURE | |
| 12 | 88 – 100 | A |
| 11 | 83 – 87 | A- |
| 10 | 78 – 82 | B+ |
| 9 | 73 – 77 | B |
| 8 | 68 – 72 | B- |
| 7 | 63 – 67 | C+ |
| 6 | 58 – 62 | C |
| 5 | 53 – 57 | C- |
| 4 | 48 – 52 | D+ |
| 3 | 43 – 47 | D |
| 2 | 38 – 42 | D- |
| 1 | 0 – 37 | E |