Abstract

Over the years, the number of students applying for a place in government-subsidized courses in Kenyan public universities by far exceeds capacity, upon which a two-tier model has to be used to determine who gets a coveted place in any given year. It was in this background that the efficiency in the selection process was investigated. The KCSE Aggregate Grade, used in the first phase of selection, was found to be moderately but significantly related to University Performance. However, the KCSE Cluster Grade which is used in the second selection phase seemed to have no incremental value when considered in combination with the KCSE Aggregate Grade. This information should lead to the consideration of non-KCSE measures in the selection protocol. Further, exploratory investigations revealed that the standard learning environment at the university could mitigate the effects of background inequalities among university students.