The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) has announced plans to roll out revised placement criteria to guide placement to degree programmes.
In a statement on Thursday, March 19, KUCCPS said the revised placement marked a significant shift in how students will select and be placed in their preferred courses.
“The Placement Service yesterday convened a stakeholders validation forum at Kirinyaga University to validate the reviewed placement criteria for degree programmes,” read the statement in part
“The criteria review process began last year and, following validation by stakeholders and approval by the KUCCPS Board, will be implemented during placement to degree programmes in the 2026/2027 cycle.”
The meeting brought together vice chancellors, principals of constituent colleges, and representatives from regulatory and professional bodies to assess and validate the revised guidelines.
How KUCCPS Places Students in Universities
First, the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) opens its application portal, inviting students to apply for degree courses of their choice.
Once the application window closes, the placement service begins the placement process.
KUCCPS uses an automated system to assess candidates based on their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education mean grade and performance in relevant cluster subjects tied to their selected programmes.
The Cluster points reflect a candidate’s calculated performance across four key subjects required for a specific degree course and are measured against the performance of top candidates.
To ensure accuracy, candidates are advised not to calculate their cluster points manually; instead, log in to the KUCCPS student portal, where the scores are automatically generated.
Also Read: KUCCPS Subject Requirements for Architectural and Surveying Programmes
What Happens After Students’ Choices Have Been Evaluated
Based on the evaluation of the courses applied, applicants are allocated available government-sponsored slots in universities and colleges.
Placement is determined by a candidate’s program preferences, beginning with the first choice and proceeding to subsequent options that the student chose.
Results are released through the KUCCPS portal, with applicants also receiving SMS notifications prompting them to log in and check their placement status.
Students are required to formally accept or reject the offer within the stipulated period. Failure to respond within the given timeframe results in forfeiture of the government-sponsored slot.
Also Read: KUCCPS Subject Requirements For Pursuing a Degree in Medical-Related Courses
Cluster Subjects
KUCCPS groups degree programs into clusters, each requiring specific subjects.
Each degree program has a set of required subjects grouped into clusters, such as Sciences, Arts and Humanities, or Social Sciences.
Check the cluster for your intended course and note the required subjects. Typically, clusters include:
- Cluster A: Sciences (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics)
- Cluster B: Arts and Humanities (e.g., History, English, Kiswahili, Literature)
- Cluster C: Social Sciences (e.g., Geography, Economics, Business Studies)
