The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) uses a formula to calculate the cut-off points for degree courses.
The formula takes into consideration the following four cluster subjects:
- Cluster 1: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology
- Cluster 2: Geography, History and Christian Religious Education (CRE) or Islamic Religious Education (IRE)
- Cluster 3: English, Kiswahili, English Literature, French, German, Arabic, Kenyan Sign Language and any other subject not included in cluster 1 or 2.
- Cluster 4: Home Science, Art and Design, Agriculture, Aviation Technology, Computer Studies, Woodwork, Metalwork, Building Construction, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design, or any other subject not included in clusters 1, 2 or 3.
The formula for calculating the cut-off points is: (C1 x 1) + (C2 x 2) + (C3 x 1) + (C4 x 1)
where:
- C1, C2, C3, C4 are the average grades obtained in the four clusters.
- The multipliers 1 and 2 are used to give more weight to the grades in clusters 1 and 2, which are considered more relevant to the degree course.
For example, if a student obtained an average grade of A- in cluster 1, B+ in cluster 2, B in cluster 3, and A- in cluster 4, the cut-off points for that student would be:
(A- x 1) + (B+ x 2) + (B x 1) + (A- x 1) = 1.0 + 3.3 + 1.0 + 1.0 = 6.3.
The cut-off points are used to determine the minimum grade a student needs to qualify for a particular degree course at a particular university or college.