Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has congratulated the 993,226 candidates who sat the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.
In a statement on Friday, he praised their efforts and encouraged them to embrace the next phase of their academic and professional journeys.
Kindiki commended the 270,715 students who qualified for university admission.
He also acknowledged the majority who will proceed to technical and vocational institutions, saying the country offers “diverse pathways for training and skills development.”
“I applaud the 270,715 students who have qualified to join University, and also the rest who will find training and skills development opportunities in tertiary institutions, vocational training institutions and other opportunities,” he said.
The deputy president noted that examination results should be viewed as a stepping stone rather than a final measure of success.
“As Kenya retires the nostalgic KCSE by 2027, the transition to the Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) system will provide a more adaptive human resource for our country,” Kindiki said.
He described CBET as a key enabler of Kenya’s ambition to become a first-world economy within a generation.
Kindiki said the long-running 8-4-4 system has served the country well, but added that CBET offers a stronger and more dynamic alternative for emerging national needs.
He outlined steps taken by the government over the past three years to support a smooth shift to the new framework.
According to the DP, the focus remains on ensuring continuity, stability and eventual full implementation of the reforms.
“This will remain the case until we achieve the full implementation of the transition and thereafter the fine-tuning and perfection thereof,” he said.
Kindiki reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building an education system that equips learners with practical competencies, industry-aligned skills and the flexibility required in modern labour markets.
Releasing the results, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said a total of 1,932 candidates scored grade A.
This marked an improvement from 1,693 candidates (0.18 per cent) who achieved the top grade in the 2024 examination.
Additionally, 270,000 attained grade C+ and above, qualifying for direct university entry.
This is an improvement compared to 246,391 (25.53%) in 2024.
The Ministry of Education also said that 72,000 candidates from day secondary schools scored grade C+ and above, underscoring the growing performance of learners in public day schools.
The number of candidates with grade C- (minus) and above was 507,131 (50.92%) in the year 2025 KCSE examination compared to 476,889 (49.41%) in 2024.
The number of candidates attaining a pass grade (grade D+ and above) was 634,082 (63.67%) in the 2025 KCSE examination compared to 605,774 (62.76%) in 2024.
Ogamba noted that performance across subjects showed a mixed trend, with 17 subjects recording improved performance, while 11 subjects registered a decline, compared to the previous year.
Gender analysis of the results indicated varying strengths, with female candidates performing better in six language subjects, while male candidates outperformed females in 11 subjects.
The CS also highlighted demographic shifts among candidates, saying the number of candidates aged 16 years and below increased from about 20,000 in 2024 to 26,391 in 2025, with the highest proportion of candidates falling within the appropriate age bracket for sitting the examination.
On overall outcomes, Ogamba said 507,131 candidates scored C- and above, while 634,082 attained a pass grade of D+ and above, qualifying them for various post-secondary education and training pathways.
The KCSE examinations were administered countrywide between October 21 and November 14, 2025.
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