KCPE
Kenya Certificate of Primary Education
Awarded to students after completing the approved eight-year course in primary education. The examination is supervised by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), an examining body in Kenya under the Ministry of Education.
Examination subjects
Students are tested in Five subjects:-
- LANGUAGE I English Grammar,Comprehension and Composition writing
- LANGUAGE II Kiswahili Grammar, Comprehension and Insha writing
- MATHEMATICS
- SCIENCE
- SOCIAL STUDIES (History, Civics, Geography, Religion)
Each subject carries a maximum of 100 marks, for a total of 500 possible marks. The examination is conducted once every year in the month of November.
KCSE
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education
Awarded to students after completing the approved Four-year course in Secondary education. The examination is supervised by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), an examining body in Kenya under the Ministry of Education.
KCSE is broadly equivalent to GCSE/AS-level, in Class X. Though at approximately AS level, students take a broader range of subjects. Those going to local Universities or Polytechnics will progress straight to these institutions after KCSE, and do a degree normally lasting 4 years (or often 5 years for engineering courses).
Each KCSE subject is graded on the basis of a twelve-point scale, with 12 points being
the highest score and 1 the lowest these grades are accompanied by an expanded grading
system from A to E.
The overall mean grade is indicated by a letter grade ranging from A to E as shown below:
- 81 – 84 : Grade A : 12 points.
- 74 – 80 : Grade A- : 11 points.
- 67 – 73 : Grade B+ : 10 points.
- 60 – 66 : Grade B : 9 points.
- 53 – 59 : Grade B- : 8 points.
- 46 – 52 : Grade C+ : 7 points.
- 39 – 45 : Grade C : 6 points.
The mean grade (which ranges from A to E and 7 to 84) is an average grade based on performance in the 7 subjects as stated
in the KCSE certificate award Regulations while Aggregate Points (AGPT) indicate the total number of grade points based on the 7 subjects.
GROUP I : Compulsory Subjects.
- English – 101
- Kiswahili – 102
- Mathematics – 121
- Mathematics Alternative “B” – 122
GROUP II : Sciences (At Least 2)
- Biology – 231
- Physics – 232 Option “A”
- Chemistry – 233
- General Science – 237 for Option “B”
GROUP III : Arts (At Least 1).
- History & Government – 311
- Geography – 312
- Christian Religious Education – 313
- Islamic Religious Education – 314
- Hindu Religious Education – 315
GROUP IV : Any.
- Home Science – 441
- Art and Design – 442
- Agriculture – 443
- Woodwork – 444
- Metalwork – 445
- Building Construction – 446
- Power Mechanics – 447
- Electricity – 448
- Drawing and Design
- Aviation Technology – 450
- Computer Studies – 451
GROUP V : Arts (At Least 1).
- French – 501
- German – 502
- Arabic – 503
- Kenya Sign Language – 504
- Music – 511
- Business Studies – 565
GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14-16 in O Level/CSE qualifications. As well as amalgamating the two former examination systems, one of the main changes was to allow students to complete Course Work during their two years of study, which was marked by their teachers and contributed to their final examination grade.
At the end of the two-year GCSE course, candidates receive a grade for each subject that they have sat. The pass grades, from highest to lowest, are: A* (pronounced ‘A-star’), A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Grade U (ungraded/unclassified) signifies that a student achieved nothing worthy of credit, therefore no GCSE is awarded to the student in that subject.
A GCSE at grades D–G is a Level 1 qualification, while a GCSE at grades A*–C is a Level 2 qualification. As one would expect, GCSEs at A*-C (Level 2) are much more desirable and insisted on by many employers and educational institutions. Level 1 qualifications are required to advance to Level 2 qualifications. Likewise, Level 2 qualifications are required to advance to Level 3 qualifications.
Examination boards
- Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA)
- Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR)
- Edexcel
- Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC)
- Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)