Guides · Grades
What grade do you actually need?
The national minimums, our own minimums programme by programme, and the subject rules that catch people out on nursing and community health.
The national picture
Kenya sets a floor for each level of qualification. Individual institutions may ask for more than the floor — never less.
| You want | Level | National minimum |
|---|---|---|
| A degree | 7 | C+ (plus) |
| A diploma | 6 | C− (minus) |
| A certificate | 5 | D (plain) |
| An artisan certificate | 4 | D− / E |
The C+ degree threshold is under national review as the Competency-Based Curriculum matures, and placement is expected to move towards pathway-specific competencies rather than one blanket mean grade. If you are planning several years ahead, treat C+ as today’s rule rather than a permanent one.
Meeting a minimum is not the same as getting a place. Where places are limited and sponsorship is involved, selection is competitive and uses weighted cluster points, not just your mean grade.
What Skillwave asks for
Our minimums, programme by programme. Pick your grade on the enquiry form and it will show you only the programmes you qualify for — you do not have to work this out yourself.
| Programme | Level | Minimum mean grade |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Nursing | 6 | C (plain) — plus subject rules below |
| Diploma in Perioperative Theatre Technology | 6 | C− |
| Diploma in Community Health | 6 | C− — plus subject rules below |
| Diploma in ICT | 6 | C− |
| Certificate in Perioperative Theatre Technology | 5 | D (plain) |
| Certificate in Community Health | 5 | D (plain) |
| Health Services Support | 5 | D (plain) |
| Care Giver II | Short course | D− |
| Bridging Courses | — | Any grade |
The whole thing, in one picture
If you read nothing else on this page, read this.
The subject rules
Two of our programmes look at individual subjects, not just your mean grade. This is where most people are wrongly told they do or do not qualify.
Nursing — set by the Nursing Council of Kenya
The mean grade is C (plain), and on top of that:
- English or Kiswahili — C (plain)
- Biology or Biological Sciences — C (plain)
- One of Physical Sciences, Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics — C− (minus)
- Minimum age 17, and fitness to practise
Note Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences both count. Applicants who sat the combined-science papers are frequently told otherwise, and it is wrong.
Diploma in Community Health — set by TVET CDACC
The mean grade is C−, and on top of that:
- English or Kiswahili — C−
- Biology or Biological Science — D+
- One of Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or Home Science — D
There is a second door: a Level 5 qualification in Community Health admits you to the Level 6 diploma regardless of your KCSE mean grade. If your grades are short, the certificate is a real route, not a consolation prize.
If you are short of a grade
Three honest options, in the order most people should consider them.
1. Bridge the subject
Our bridging courses take any grade and lift the specific subjects you are short in. This is the route if you are one subject away from nursing.
2. Start one level down
Take the Level 5 certificate, then use it to enter the Level 6 diploma. For community health this is an explicitly recognised entry route.
3. Pick the programme that fits your grade
There is no shame in this and the ladder still goes all the way up. A Level 5 certificate holder can reach a degree — see After Skillwave.
Whatever anyone tells you: we cannot admit you below the regulator’s minimum. For nursing in particular, an institution that offers to bend the Nursing Council’s entry rules is offering you a qualification you will not be able to register with — and you will find out at the end, not the beginning.
Where this comes from
We publish our sources so you can check us.
- KUCCPS — placement and minimum entry requirements: kuccps.net
- Nursing Council of Kenya — Diploma in Community Health Nursing (Pre-Service) Syllabus, 1st Edition, January 2026, §Admission Requirements
- TVET CDACC — Community Health Level 6 entry requirements, as published by accredited providers including Amref International University
- TVET CDACC — Community Health Level 5 entry requirements, as published by accredited providers
- KUCCPS — on the review of the C+ degree threshold under CBC
Last reviewed 11 August 2026. Rules change — if you are reading this well after that date, confirm with the authority named before you act on it.
This is a guide, not the rule book. Kenya’s qualification rules change, and the regulator always wins. Every page here names its sources and the date we last checked them — verify anything that decides your money or your career directly with the authority named, or ask us and we will check it with you.
Still not sure where you fit?
Send one short form with your grade and we will tell you exactly what you qualify for — on the phone, with a person.