The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has explained what led the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results portal to crash minutes after the 2024 results were released.
In a statement on Thursday, January 9, 2024, KNEC attributed the crash to high traffic, reaching the levels of 300,000 hits per second.
This year, the Ministry of Education announced that the KNEC portal would be the sole platform for accessing the results, unlike in previous years when an SMS code was also available.
The portal was restored minutes later.
“The portal for checking the 2024 KCSE examination results is fully functional and candidates are receiving their results. The minor delays in receiving feedback is due to the high number of requests being sent to the portal, of up to 300,000 hits per second. We urge Kenyans to be patient and assure them that everyone will be able to access their results,” KNEC stated.
Moments after the results were released, candidates, parents, and schools attempting to access the portal were met with error messages.
Speaking from Mtihani House on Thursday, January 9, 2024, Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba announced that 962,512 candidates sat for the national examination.
“Today we are releasing the 2024 KCSE results for the 962,512 candidates, all of whom we have cleared to join various higher learning institutions to pursue careers of their choice,” Ogamba stated.
KNEC nullifies results
KNEC nullified the results of 840 candidates due to exam malpractice. Additionally, the results of 2,899 candidates have been withheld, with investigations expected to conclude within 30 days.
1,693 candidates achieved a Grade A compared to 1,216 in 2023, marking a significant improvement. A total of 246,391 candidates attained a Grade C+ and above, which qualifies them for direct entry to university.
The distribution of grades also included: 476,889 candidates achieving a Grade C- and 605,774 candidates achieving a Grade D+