Nairobi: The top 2016 KCPE candidate scored 436 marks out of a possible 500, compared to last year’s 449 in results announced by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.
Only 5,190 candidates scored 400 and above, a drop from 2015’s 7,560.
There were no cases of examination leakage in exams that have been described as the most guarded in Kenya’s history.
Consequently, no candidate or examination will have their results cancelled.
The timing is a clear break from tradition for the results which are usually released at the end of December.
Matiang’i has been on a mission to change how national examinations in Kenya are conducted; this year’s KCPE and KCSE examinations were completed earlier than usual.
A total of 952,021 pupils sat this year’s examination. The candidates who sat the 2016 KCPE exams will join secondary school in the first month of 2017, a change from the usual February entry.
Students are expected to report to their respective secondary schools starting from January 9.
“Form one selection begins immediately and on December 9, we shall meet here at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development to finalise national schools selection,” said CS Matiang’i.
Admission letters to secondary schools will reach candidates by December 25.
To receive results on SMS, candidates are advised to send their index numbers to 22252.
