KCSE English Paper 2 2025 Examiners' Marking Report

KCSE ENGLISH PAPER 2 2025 MARKING REPORT FROM AN EXAMINER'S POINT OF VIEW

Generally, the performance of this paper was better than what was recorded in the last three years. Substantial high scores were recorded, and as usual, very low grades especially from some students who are extremely weak. The average score might be 25. 

Question 1: The Comprehension 

Question 1 was a passage about how football substituted war in the last century. In section (a), some students could not identify consequences of war. Consequences are negative but some gave positive results of war. In (b), comparing football with war required a complete sentence with the subject 'they'. However, an indication of comparison could be shown by the use of both. Some omitted the subject so they didn't score.

Other questions required inferential skills like the question on how 'fighting without fighting' related to the general message of the poem, and why 'fighting' was placed between quotes. The simple idea here was how competing in the field replaced fighting or warfare. The average score here was about 8.

Question 2: Excerpt from The Samaritan 

Question 2 was from The Samaritan. Section (a) was about the context of the excerpt. Many candidates could not explain the actions that occur after the excerpt. The points required were largely from the words of Ted. Questions about themes and the character trait of Seymour were well attempted. The illustrations to similes and hyperbole were well identified but to most candidates, the effectiveness was not adequately explained for both styles.

Questions on the meanings of phrases as used in the excerpt were well performed. They were merely paraphrases and not exact meanings. The average score here was 10.

Question 3: Oral Poem

Question 3 was an oral poem. Many students scored the identification of the type of song. The majority of the candidates were able to identify and illustrate the features, the economic activities and the societal view on marriage. On virtues, nouns were the appropriate identifiers. Expressing the virtue as a moral lesson didn't earn the candidate a mark. Some candidates scooped everything on this question. The average score was about 13. 

Question 4: Grammar

Grammar was mostly picked from the form two and three syllabus. The candidates showed a mastery of the order of adjectives and word derivations. However, there is a need to let students master the prepositions to use with particular words like blowing out a candle, arguing about/over something and so forth. The average score for this section was a 5.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, let us train students on high order skills so that they can think outside the face value of test items. Some of these questions need deep understanding of the context. Remember that English is a language hence communication is key.  Proper handwriting, punctuation and shaping of letters especially in question 4 also need to be emphasized.