It is no longer a rumor that the Ministry of Education intends to change the grading structure for 2023 / 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
If you are visiting this page, it is assumed you at least know the role of the KCSE. To add to what you already know, the Ministry of Education oversees the affairs of Kenya National Examination Council. This is why they can restructure KCSE students’ grading system for 2023 to reflect the dominant aptitudes and interests of learners.
The results after grading students determined the student’s certification and placement in higher education. However, this grading structure has disadvantaged many students with different orientations in abilities and interests.
The new grading structure will see that students good in Medicine or engineering need not be prevented from qualifying for the courses just because a subject that was used to grade him pulled down his overall Mean Grade.
Current KCSE Grading Structure 2022 / 2023
The current KCSE grading structure permits each KCSE subject to be graded on the basis of a twelve-point scale, with 12 points being the highest score and 1 being the lowest. These grades are accompanied by an expanded grading system from A, A-, B+ to E.
Check the remaining tables for more information concerning KNEC grading.
| Points | Grade |
| 12 | A (plain) |
| 11 | A- (Minus) |
| 10 | B+ (plus) |
| 9 | B (plain) |
| 8 | B- (minus) |
| 7 | C+ (plus) |
| 6 | C (plain) |
| 5 | C- (minus) |
| 4 | D+ (plus) |
| 3 | D (plain) |
| 2 | D-(minus) |
| 1 | E |
Mean Grade Awards Meaning
- X – candidate is absent in all subjects
- Y – one or more subjects are canceled.
- U – the entry requirements for the KCSE examination are not met
- CRNM – course requirements for the Teacher Education, Business and Technical examinations are not met
- P – results are pended
- W – withheld examination results
KNEC KCSE Grading System Per Subject 2022 / 2023
It is important to note that each subject has its own grading system as shown below. Here is the structure:
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR ENGLISH
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR KISWAHILI
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR MATHEMATICS
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR BIOLOGY
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR PHYSICS
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR CHEMISTRY
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR HISTORY & GOVERNMENT
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR GEOGRAPHY
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION (CRE)
| 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 |
KCSE GRADING SCALE FOR AGRICULTURE
| 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 |
However, the Ministry intends to modify the KCSE Grading structure. Below are the details.
Possible New KCSE Grading Structure 2023
The report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) made recommendations on assessment and included a review of the grading system of KCSE to accord with the international standards that inform the grading of students at KCSE.
- The new KCSE grading system will take into account the literacy and numeracy abilities of learners.
- As aforementioned, KCSE grading in any national education system is for certification and not placement of students in higher education.
- The Principal Secretary, however, said students of the remaining cohort of the 8.4.4 will be graded according to their performance in five subjects in addition to their grades in Mathematics and either English or Kiswahili.
Furthermore, the overall grading of the learners is expected to include the best five subjects instead of grading them across subject clusters as has been the case since the inception of the 8.4.4 system of education.
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