KNEC bridging courses are short courses in which you re-sit subject/subjects you had failed at the KCSE, hoping to improve your grade.
The purpose of KNEC bridging courses is to help you meet the minimum entry requirements for your dream course.
For this reason, the bridging course acceptability is limited to the college/university that is offering the course.
For example, to take some Diploma courses in Kenya, you need at least a C- (Certificate) in some subjects.
Subsequently, you will want to take a bridging course in Kenya to boost your grade, if you had a D+, for instance in such subjects.
Entry requirements for KNEC bridging courses
Unlike normal bridging course, there’s no minimum grade for KNEC bridging courses- indeed, you can even ‘bridge’ a subject which you had previously score an E grade.
And it actually depends on the college and the course you’re taking since the primary purpose of the ‘bridging’ is to earn the minimum entry grade for the course.
In short, colleges and universities set their own specific requirements for their bridging courses.
How long do KNEC bridging courses take?
It takes just 6 months on average to bridge a KNEC subject though some units have more flexibility.
You can attend studies fulltime, part-time (evening and mornings), or weekends.
Are KNEC bridging courses recognized?
Yes, but only by the college/university offering it.
As mentioned, the goal of the program is to allow you reach the grade for the course so they’ll allow you to join your chosen course if you achieve that grade during your bridging exams.
But that’s the only recognition awarded these courses.
In fact, in some cases, the bridging may not be helpful when seeking employment if you don’t meet the stringent requirements set by employers.
Let’s take teaching for example:
To become a secondary school teacher, you must have a KCSE mean grade of C+ in two teaching subjects.
Now, even if you bridge, the TSC won’t recognize your bridging certificate at the moment and your efforts to join the profession via bridging will fail.
That’s why we advise people to resit the KCSE (the whole exam) if you’re looking at getting KCSE grades that will get universal recognition.
But if you must take a bridging certificate, then go ahead and identify a university or an institute that teaches bridging courses in the relevant subjects and enroll for a bridging course.
Note: In the past years, KNEC bridging courses were widely accepted and you could even use them to join a degree program if you had not passed well in your KCSE.
But those are the days when higher education in Kenya had been commercialized by unscrupulous officials looking to make a kill from Kenyans yearning to secure a university degree.
The government has since ‘seen the light’ and regularized university education in Kenya hence the limited recognition of bridging courses in Kenya.
Intakes for bridging courses in Kenya
Colleges have their KNEC bridging courses intakes mostly at the beginning of the year though some have continuous intakes.
There aren’t many colleges offering the program so it’s important to start your college search shortly immediately after getting your KCSE results, if you choose to pursue that path.
Institutions offering KNEC bridging courses in Kenya
You can enroll for bridging courses in these institutions for specific courses:
1. Cooperative University – Nairobi
Course: CERTIFICATE IN BRIDGING MATHEMATICS
Contacts;
Location: Karen
Cellphone: 0724311606, 020 2430127,020 2679456
Website: https://www.cuk.ac.ke/admissions/bridging-certificate-diploma-courses/
2. Catholic University
Course: Bridging Courses in both Mathematics and English
Contacts;
Location: Lang’ata, Nairobi
Cellphone: 0709-691111 /0709-691000
Website: http://www.cuea.edu/
3. Mt. Kenya University
Course: Bridging Courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and English
Contacts;
Location: Thika, General Kago Rd
Cellphone: 0709 153 000
Does KMTC offer bridging courses?
No, KMTC doesn’t offer KNEC bridging courses through there was a time the college was offering internally-examined bridging courses in Chemistry, Math, Biology, and Physics.
These KMTC bridging courses aimed at helping applicants who didn’t achieve the minimum entry grades qualify for their favorite courses at KMTC.
The college stopped the bridging courses immediately the government started tightening the controls around admissions into KMTC and other higher education programs in Kenya.
Final word
A bridging course can help you stand a better chance of gaining direct entry into your dream course.
But unlike in the past days, it might not be beneficial outside gaining entry into your course (Diploma or Degree) as the government is very strict when it comes to some programmes.
Our advice is for you to repeat the whole KCSE exam -even if you have to do it as a private candidate- if you’re looking at getting grades that can help you in the long run.
