Missing marks and supplementary examinations have become a norm in Kenyan universities. Almost all universities including private ones are faced with this problem. The university system has failed to address the issue that has overhauled their operations for years. Looking for missing mark is a ‘ghost’ that hovers over campus students. Some spend years looking for missing CAT marks and some even fail to graduate and retake some of the courses in the programs. The problem needs to be addressed to prove the efficiency of the institutions of higher learning and make the process student friendly.
Lecturer tactically ‘dodge’ students and finding them in departments becomes difficult, some are unavailable even on phone and don’t reply emails with busy schedule being the main reason. The missing marks, incomplete and supplementary exams come in different ways, some occurring as genuine failure to attend exams or failing by students while some from system failure. Examination departments are congested with students struggling to see their transcripts complete. It arises form misplacement of marks by various departments, some of the lecturer misplace CAT sheets. Despite filling exam attendance forms and sitting for the exams/ CATs some students end up falling victims and being forced to look for lecturers who mostly at that time become absent and unreachable.
Wrongly written registration numbers sometimes is a cause for the missing marks, which may cause misallocation of marks in the exam results sheet. Some students even fail to write their credentials on the examination booklets and exam attendance sheets. This makes tracing of their results and proving to have done the exam much more difficult.
University database system on most instances malfunctions causing many cases of missing marks. Some marks disappear from the system and grades change in the portal. Not on one instance that students complain of being forced to apply for supplementary exams for the units that they actually passed. Grave occurrences are when a whole class or even three quarters get to missing marks due to system failure. These problems brought about the university ICT Department are a frustration to students.
To end this menace, universities need to ensure that they put up proper measures. Proper coordination between students and the examination department should be enhanced. Student leaders should be in touch with both parties to solve these problems. Universities should also improve their system to ensure that cases of marks disappearing from system and awarding of inappropriate grades is solved. Solving these problems will make the institutions highly regarded in providing quality education and services.
By Orifwa Ruben
orifwaruben@gmail.com
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Mt Kenya Times ePAPER August 28, 2026
- Kenya is losing fifteen mothers a day — and the numbers are getting worse
- Consolata International University opens new academic year with call to humanise artificial intelligence
- Written in gold, wielded in iron: Katiba@16 and the realities of power
- Mang’eni challenges universities to put entrepreneurship at the heart of learning
About the Author
