Starting in the 2026–27 academic year, students seeking university admission in Kenya will face a revised placement system, following a major update by the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS).
The new criteria have already been validated and approved by key stakeholders, including regulatory and professional bodies.
“The criteria review process began last year and, following validation by stakeholders and approval by the KUCCPS Board, will be implemented during placement to degree programmes in the 2026/2027 cycle,” KUCCPS confirmed.
The overhaul aims to align university admissions with the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, especially following the planned removal of C+ as the minimum fixed grade for entry.
The formal validation was held on March 18 at Kirinyaga University, with participation from education leaders, including KUCCPS Board Chair Cyrus Gituai, CEO Mercy Wahome, TSC Chair Jamleck Muturi, and Prof.
Mike Kuria, CEO of the Commission for University Education (CUE) and chair of the Placement Criteria Review Committee. Vice chancellors and principals from public and private universities also attended.
The revision comes in response to recent exam trends. In the 2025 KCSE, only 27% of nearly one million candidates met the traditional C+ threshold, demonstrating the need for a more flexible and inclusive placement system.
Currently, KUCCPS uses a competitive, merit-based approach to match students to degree programs, relying on KCSE performance, subject cluster points, and students’ ranked choices.
Affirmative Action Criteria are also applied to support female students, persons with disabilities, and those from marginalized regions.
Cluster weighted points—calculated from performance in four subjects relevant to a chosen field—determine placement. Students are ranked, and the last admitted student sets the “cut-off point” for each program.
The revised system will broaden access by recognizing students’ specific strengths and competencies, rather than relying solely on a single grade. KUCCPS emphasizes that this change will ensure a fairer, more inclusive higher education landscape.
According to the latest statistics, only 270,000 out of 993,226 candidates in the 2025 KCSE scored C+ or higher, leaving more than 720,000 students affected under the old system.
The new criteria aim to give more students opportunities to access degree programs aligned with their abilities.
Tags
Education