Following the release of the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results, a significant number of students, totalling 722,511, did not qualify for direct university entry, falling short of the minimum C+ mean grade. This raises concerns despite an increase in candidates achieving university placement compared to the previous year.

• 722,511 out of 993,226 candidates missed direct university entry, with only 270,715 qualifying.
• Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba highlighted a 9.8 per cent increase in direct university placements from 2024.
• The results were graded using a reviewed system that considers Math, the best-performed language, and the best five subjects, aligning with the shift to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).