The Nursing Council of Kenya (NCK) has issued fresh guidance outlining the minimum admission requirements for nursing and midwifery programmes, warning prospective students to strictly meet the set KCSE grades before applying for either degree or diploma courses.
The Nursing Council of Kenya has detailed the minimum admission criteria for students intending to pursue nursing or midwifery training in the country, as competition for limited slots continues to rise.
In a notice issued on Monday, January 26, the regulatory body reminded applicants that failure to meet the prescribed entry requirements automatically disqualifies a candidate from enrolling in any pre-service nursing programme.
“Planning to pursue a nursing or midwifery programme? Ensure you meet the minimum admission criteria as prescribed by the Nursing Council of Kenya,” the Council stated.
Degree Nursing and Midwifery Requirements
For degree programmes, applicants must have scored a minimum KCSE mean grade of C+ (Plus). In addition, candidates must satisfy subject requirements under Cluster A or Cluster B.
Under Cluster A, a student must have scored C+ in English or Kiswahili, Mathematics or Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
Alternatively, Cluster B allows candidates with C+ in English or Kiswahili and Mathematics, plus C+ in Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences.
Diploma Nursing Requirements
Students seeking admission into diploma-level nursing programmes must have attained a KCSE mean grade of C (Plain).
Mandatory subjects include Biology or Biological Sciences and English or Kiswahili, both at C (Plain).
In addition, applicants must have scored at least C- (Minus) in one of the following subjects: Physical Sciences, Physics, Mathematics, General Science, or Physics with Chemistry.
Where to Get More Information
The Nursing Council has advised prospective students to visit its official indexing portal for detailed guidance on programme requirements and applications.
Applicants can also seek clarification by contacting the Council through its official email addresses.
Important Notice to Exam Candidates
Separately, the Council recently issued an alert to candidates scheduled for the February 2026 licensure examinations.
According to the notice dated January 22, mock examinations will be conducted remotely on February 3 and 4, from 10:00am to 3:00pm EAT. The mock tests will not be administered at physical exam centres.
The Council also confirmed that some examination centres have changed due to logistical reasons. Approved centres include the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (Lang’ata), Eldoret National Polytechnic, Garissa University, Kisii National Polytechnic, KMTC Mombasa, and Outspan Medical College.
Candidates were warned that requests for exam centre changes will not be accepted and were advised to use the same laptop for both the mock and final licensure exams
