Historic shift as female candidates outnumber males for the first time in KCSE exams

For the first time in the history of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, girls have outnumbered boys.

Out of the 962,512 candidates who sat the 2024 KCSE exams, 480,310 were male, while 482,202 were female, representing 49.90 per cent and 50.10 per cent of the total candidates, respectively.

This marks a historic shift in the gender distribution of KCSE candidates.

For the first time also in KCSE history, 246,391 students attained grade C+ and above, qualifying for direct entry into universities.

This marks a rise from 201,133 students in 2023, with female candidates making remarkable strides across multiple performance categories.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, while releasing the results on Thursday at Mitihani House in Nairobi, hailed the milestone as a reflection of progress in the education system.

"These results highlight the resilience of our education sector and the success of the reforms we are implementing," he said.

Grade Distribution

Grade A: 1,693 students (1,137 male, 556 female)

Grade A-: 7,743 students (4,903 male, 2,840 female)

Grade B+: 19,150 students (11,042 male, 8,108 female)

Grade B: 43,120 students (23,339 male, 19,781 female)

Grade B-: 75,347 students (38, 492 male, 36, 855 female)

Grade C+: 99,338 students (48,940 male, 50,397 female)

Grade C: 111,717 students (53,769 male, 57,948 female)

Grade C-: 118,781 students (56, 175 male, 62, 606 female)

Grade D+: 128,885 students (60,088 male, 68,797 female)

Grade D: 153,334 students (73, 501 male, 79,832 female)

Grade D-: 151,487 students ( 79,306 male, 72,181 female)

Grade E: 48,333 students (28, 221 male, 20, 112 female)

As announced by the CS, 119,174 girls and 127,217 boys scored C+ and above, qualifying for university admission.

Female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the C+, C, and C- categories, highlighting ongoing strides in gender equity in education.

During a morning briefing on the 2024 KCSE exam results, President William Ruto praised the progress in girls’ participation and performance.

"More girls, for instance, are now enrolling and completing their schooling. Consequently, performance is improving in schools all over the country," he said.

Rise in subject performance

Of the 27 subjects examined, CS Ogamba revealed that 17, including core sciences such as Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, recorded improved performance.

This was attributed to focused interventions by teachers and education reforms. However, 10 subjects including English and Home Science saw a slight decline in performance.

The Kenya National Examinations Council CEO David Njeng’ere acknowledged the gains, particularly in STEM subjects, stating that they reflect improved teaching methodologies.

CS Ogamba also announced a major policy shift – the introduction of mid-year KCSE examinations for candidates wishing to retake the tests.

"Starting this year and following extensive stakeholder consultation, I wish to announce that KNEC will introduce a mid-year series of the KCSE examination. It will target candidates wishing to repeat the examination," he said.

Technological advancements ensured the integrity of the 2024 KCSE, with no cases of early exposure to examination materials reported.

"This year, we did not have a single case of early exposure to the examination materials," KNEC CEO confirmed.

Despite this achievement, results for 2,829 candidates were withheld due to suspected malpractice, and 91 teachers are facing disciplinary action.

The exam began on October 28 with 965,501 candidates sitting the assessment across 10,755 exam centres across the country.

Ogamba said that the Ministry of Education recorded 621 examination malpractices, adding the cases were reported across 198 examination centres.

The government had contracted 32,800 examiners this year, up from 29,876 in 2023, to ensure timely and accurate marking.