National schools produced the highest number of top-performing students in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has announced.
Speaking during the release of the results at Chebissas Boys Secondary School in Eldoret on January 8, 2026, CS Ogamba said a total of 1,932 candidates obtained an overall mean grade of A (plain). Of these, 1,526 were from national schools, 197 from Extra County schools, and 185 from private schools.
“This is an improvement compared to 1,693 candidates who achieved an A grade in 2024,” CS Ogamba said.
The number of candidates aged 16 years and below sitting for the KCSE increased from 20,546 (2.13%) in 2024 to 26,391 (2.65%) in 2025. The majority of candidates were within the recommended age range of 17 to 19 years, accounting for 716,048 (72.02%) of all candidates.
In subject performance, male candidates recorded higher mean scores in 11 subjects, including Mathematics (Alternatives A and B), Biology, Chemistry, General Science, History & Government, Geography, IRE, Building & Construction, and Business Studies. Performance was similar for both male and female candidates in seven subjects: Physics, Agriculture, Computer Studies, French, German, Arabic, and Music. In five subjects—Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing & Design, and Aviation Technology—the number of female candidates was too small to allow a meaningful comparison with male candidates.
CS Ogamba also explained how candidates can access their results online. The results are available on the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) website or directly at results.knec.ac.ke. Candidates need to enter their index number and any one of their registered names for the 2025 KCSE examination. Results are live and accessible immediately after the announcement.
A total of 270,715 candidates (27.18%) qualified for direct university entry with a mean grade of C+ and above, up from 246,391 candidates (25.53%) in 2024. Those scoring C- and above increased to 507,131 (50.92%) from 476,889 (49.41%), while candidates attaining a pass grade of D+ and above rose to 634,082 (63.67%) from 605,774 (62.76%). Sub-County schools recorded more candidates with C+ and above than County schools, at 72,699 and 36,600 respectively.
CS Ogamba confirmed that 1,180 candidates were involved in examination irregularities during the 2025 KCSE. A total of 993,226 candidates sat for the exams, an increase of 3.19% from 962,512 in 2024. Of these, 492,012 were male (49.54%) and 501,214 were female (50.46%), marking the second consecutive year that female candidates outnumbered male candidates. However, ten counties recorded more male than female candidates.
CS Ogamba concluded: “It is now my humble duty and privilege to declare the 2025 KCSE examination results officially released. I wish all candidates success in their future endeavors.”
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