For nearly four decades, a single symbol has ruled the dreams of Kenyan learners: C+. It has been the thin, unforgiving line between hope and heartbreak, university and ‘alternative pathways,’ celebration and silent shame. One grade, one exam, one verdict. Now, that era is drawing to a close.
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has announced plans to phase out the C+ minimum grade requirement for university entry, aligning admissions with Kenya’s full transition to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system. On the surface, it sounds administrative. In reality, it is nothing short of revolutionary.
The C+ cut-off was never just a grade. It became a cultural judge. It decided who was ‘bright,’ who was ‘average,’ and who was quietly written off. It reduced twelve years of schooling to a three-hour exam marathon. It crowned crammers and punished late bloomers, rewarding memory more than mastery. By scrapping C+ as the universal entry ticket to university, KUCCPS is finally admitting what teachers, parents and employers have long known: exam grades alone do not measure intelligence, potential or usefulness to society.
Competency-based education flips the script. It asks a different question; not ‘How many marks did you score?’ but ‘What can you actually do?’ Under CBE, learners are assessed continuously, practically and holistically. Skills, values, creativity, communication, collaboration and critical thinking are no longer extracurricular luxuries; they are central outcomes. The removal of C+ signals that university education will no longer be the preserve of exam high flyers alone, but a destination for learners who demonstrate competence, through portfolios, practical assessments, recognition of prior learning or structured progression from colleges and TVET institutions.
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This reform opens doors that were previously sealed shut. A learner who excels in technical skills but struggles with written exams can now advance. A student who thrives in innovation, design, agriculture, digital skills or community leadership can find credible routes to higher education. Late bloomers are no longer sentenced by a single teenage performance. For thousands of Kenyan youths who were academically capable but systemically disadvantaged, by overcrowded schools, poverty, under-resourced classrooms or exam anxiety, scrapping C+ is not charity. It is justice.
The shift also places universities under an unforgiving spotlight. Institutions can no longer hide behind cut-off points as proof of quality. They must now demonstrate relevance. What competencies do graduates leave with? How well do programmes respond to Kenya’s social and economic needs? Can institutions assess innovation, problem-solving and applied knowledge with credibility and fairness? The age of grade-based comfort is ending, and relevance is becoming the new currency.
For teachers, especially under CBC and CBE, this change is profound. Teaching can no longer revolve around ‘covering the syllabus’ or rehearsing examination tricks. It must focus on developing the learner. Continuous assessment, learner profiling, mentorship and real-life application will matter more than ever. Responsibility shifts from a single terminal exam to the entire education ecosystem; from classroom practice to policy execution.
Yet optimism must be tempered with realism. Kenya’s reforms often shine at the policy level and stumble at implementation. Without careful planning, scrapping C+ risks creating new inequalities. Competency must not become the privilege of well-resourced urban schools while rural and marginalised learners fall further behind. If poorly handled, the country may simply replace grade elitism with resource elitism. Clear standards, teacher training, equitable infrastructure and transparent assessment frameworks are non-negotiable.
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Critics will argue that removing C+ lowers standards. That fear misunderstands the reform. This is not about making university easier to enter; it is about making education more honest. A nation does not grow by filtering out talent. It grows by identifying it, nurturing it and deploying it. Competency is not the enemy of excellence; it is its truest test.
The end of C+ as a universal gatekeeper marks one of the most significant philosophical shifts in Kenya’s education history. It declares that intelligence is diverse, that potential develops differently, and that destiny should not be decided by one examination sitting. If implemented with courage, integrity and equity, this reform could redefine access, relevance and dignity in learning.
The era of one-grade judgment is ending, and the era of ability, skill and possibility has begun.
By Angel Raphael
Raphael is a teacher and education commentator on Kenya’s Competency-Based Education reforms.
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