Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has officially released the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results at the AIC Chebisaas High School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
A total of 993,000 candidates sat the national examination, which determines learners’ transition to higher levels of education.
Out of the total number of candidates, 492,019 were boys, and 501,214 were girls. They sat examinations in 30 subjects, which were administered through 74 different papers.
.A total of 270,715 candidates representing 27.18 per cent of those who sat the 2025 KCSE scored a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying for direct university admission. Female candidates accounted for roughly 50 per cent of the entire examination cohort.
The examination saw 1,932 candidates achieve grade A, forming the highest-performing group in the country. This marks an increase in top performers compared to previous years.
School Performance
Candidates attaining grade C- and above numbered 507,131 (50.92 per cent), up from 476,889 (49.41 per cent) in 2024, while those who scored D+ and above totalled 634,082 (63.67 per cent), compared to 605,774 (62.76 per cent) the previous year.
National schools led in top performance, producing 1,526 candidates with an overall mean grade of A, followed by Extra County schools with 197 and Private schools with 185.
In terms of direct university entry, Sub-County schools outperformed County schools, with 72,699 candidates achieving C+ and above, compared to 36,600 from County schools.
The Ministry of Education said 1,180 candidates were implicated in examination irregularities, with their results cancelled.
Candidates Analysis
The 2025 KCSE results show a rise in the number of younger candidates sitting the examination. Candidates aged 16 years and below increased from 20,546, representing 2.13 per cent in 2024, to 26,391, accounting for 2.65 per cent in 2025.
However, the majority of candidates were within the appropriate age bracket, with those aged between 17 and 19 years forming the largest group, with 716,048 candidates, representing 72.02 per cent of the total candidature.
On subject performance, KNEC reported mixed outcomes across the curriculum, with a total of 17 subjects recording a significant improvement in performance in 2025, the same number as in 2024.
At the same time, performance declined in 11 subjects in 2025, compared to 10 subjects that recorded a decline in the previous year.
Gender analysis showed that female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in six subjects, including English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Home Science, Christian Religious Education and Art and Design.
Male candidates posted higher mean scores in 11 subjects, among them Mathematics Alternatives A and B, Biology, Chemistry, History and Government, Geography, Islamic Religious Education, Building Construction and Business Studies.
Performance between male and female candidates was comparable in seven subjects, including Physics, Agriculture, Computer Studies and Music. KNEC noted that the number of female candidates in technical subjects such as Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design and Aviation Technology was too small to allow for meaningful comparison.
How to Check Results
Following the official release of the national examination, all the candidates can now check their 2025 KCSE results through the official KNEC portal; results.knec.ac.ke. Candidates are required to enter their index number and index number as per the registration data provided to KNEC.
In an effort to address longstanding issues around withheld certificates, the ministry has introduced a new system where candidates will collect their KCSE certificates from subcounty education offices instead of their former schools. The change is intended to prevent delays linked to unpaid school fees.
