Female law candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the November 2025 Advocates Training Programme (ATP) examinations, even as overall performance dropped compared to last year, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) has revealed.
Out of 2,968 candidates, 1,835 regular and 1,133 re-sit, women posted higher pass rates across most units, underscoring a gendered performance gap amid wider concerns over exam outcomes.
Among regular candidates, female pass rates ranged from 55.5% to 58.5%, while male pass rates trailed at 41.5% to 44.5%.
CLE noted the November 2025 series reflects a decline from November 2024 and highlighted persistent weaknesses in Professional Ethics (ATP 105), which again recorded the lowest pass rate at 25.38%, this is the third consecutive sitting in which the unit has underperformed.
By contrast, Trial Advocacy (ATP 104) led all units with a pass rate of 97.49%.
The nine‑unit Kenya School of Law (KSL) cohort recorded a significant failure rate, with only 397 of 1,834 students passing all papers. The results have reignited debate over student preparedness and curricular bottlenecks, particularly in Professional Ethics, where outcomes continue to lag despite sustained attention from regulators and training institutions.
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CLE said it is implementing reforms across exam setting, marking, and results release to enhance transparency and consistency and emphasized efforts to ensure inclusivity and fairness.
In this series, CLE facilitated eleven candidates with special needs, including the provision of a typist where required. The council reaffirmed its commitment to quality, citing its vision to develop innovative legal professionals through transformative education aligned with emerging practice trends.
In the wake of the results, city lawyer Phannie Kwegah urged students to remain resilient, sharing her own experience of resits and eventual success. Kwengah urged students not to give up, as it was not the end of the road
CLE officials encouraged intensive revision in weak areas, especially Professional Ethics, and called for targeted interventions to lift overall performance in future ATP exams.
By Masaki Enock
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