Mathematics emerged as the best-performing subject in the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, according to results released on Friday by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba.
Speaking at AIC Chebisas High School in Eldoret, Ogamba said the 2025 KCSE results showed a slight overall improvement compared to 2024. He noted that the examinations were graded using the reviewed KCSE grading system.
“Under the new system, Mathematics was the best-performed subject among languages English, Kiswahili and Kenyan Sign Language and also ranked among the top five best-performing subjects overall.” He said
The CS revealed that 17 subjects recorded significant improvement in performance in 2025, the same number as in the 2024 examinations.
However, 11 subjects registered a notable decline in performance, compared to 10 subjects in the previous year.
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Gender-based analysis showed that female candidates recorded higher mean scores than males in English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Home Science, Christian Religious Education (CRE), and Art and Design.
Male candidates outperformed females in 11 subjects, including Mathematics, Biology (Alternative A and B), Biology for the Blind, Chemistry, General Science, History and Government, Geography, Islamic Religious Education (IRE), Building Construction, and Business Studies.
Performance between male and female candidates was comparable in Physics, Agriculture, Computer Studies, French, German, Arabic, and Music.
Ogamba noted that subjects such as Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design, and Aviation Technology had too few female candidates to allow for meaningful gender comparison.
Out of the 993,226 candidates who sat for the 2025 KCSE examinations, 270,715 scored a mean grade of C+ and above, qualifying them for university admission. A total of 1,932 candidates attained the top grade of A.
By Obegi Malack
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