The Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS) has explained why it raises or lowers the cut-off points used to place students in their preferred courses.
Speaking in a webinar on Saturday, April 18, KUCCPS CEO Alice Wahome said that cut-off points are lowered or raised depending on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) performance.
Wahome said that cut-off points increase when KCSE candidates perform well in a given year, as competition for courses rises.
On the other hand, she noted that cut-off points are reduced when candidates in a given KCSE year perform poorly, resulting in less competition for available courses.
“Unless there is a sudden change, as long as everything is okay where we see students performing better every year, better than last year, you expect the cut-offs to go higher. Because more and more students will be going for that course,” Wahome said.
Also Read: KUCCPS Cut-Off Points for Bachelor of Pharmacy Offered in 8 Kenyan Universities
On his part, KUCCPS Director of Placement and Career Development Prof. John Oluoch explained that cut-off points are a function of competition, which is determined by the number of available vacancies in a program versus the number of applicants interested in it.
He noted that cut-offs are influenced by the number of students who apply to a course relative to the program’s capacity.
“It is a function of the competition—how many are interested in the program and the capacity available in that program—that sets the cut-off,” he said.
Also Read: KUCCPS Explains How Students Who Missed Past Placement Can Apply for Degree Courses
How Cut-Off Points are Calculated
Cut-off points refer to the weighted cluster points of the last competitively placed student in a given degree program.
Weighted cluster points, on the other hand, represent a KCSE candidate’s computed performance in four subjects required for admission into a specific degree program, compared to the performance of the best candidates in that particular KCSE examination year.
The calculation is based on the required cluster subjects and the candidate’s overall performance.
The points are computed to three decimal places to reduce the likelihood of applicants tying on points. Candidates seeking to secure their preferred university programs seamlessly are advised to ensure their cluster weights exceed the provided cut-off points.
According to the Placement Service, students whose cluster weight is above the previous cut-off points have a higher chance of being placed in their preferred programs if they apply.
“To enable applicants to determine if they have a chance of getting a degree course if they apply for it. If your Cluster Weight is above the previous cut-off points, you have a good chance if you apply for that programme,” KUCCPS stated.
