STEM Pathway

What the STEM Pathway Is

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. In the Ministry of Education’s senior school guidelines it is the pathway with the most subjects: sixteen, organised in three tracks. Pure Sciences covers Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and General Science. Applied Sciences covers Computer Studies, Home Science and Agriculture. Technical Studies covers Aviation, Building Construction, Electricity, Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Woodwork, Media Technology, and Marine and Fisheries Technology. KICD also lists Geography and Business Studies as complementary subjects that STEM learners can pair with their science subjects.

The biggest practical difference from the other two pathways is Mathematics. Every STEM learner takes Core Mathematics, the more demanding of the two Mathematics courses. Learners in Social Sciences or Arts & Sports take Essential Mathematics unless they are allowed Core Mathematics. If your child finds Mathematics a struggle, that is not an automatic “no” to STEM, but it is something to plan for now, not in Grade 10.

Learners who do well in STEM usually show a few of these signs in junior school: they enjoy Integrated Science practicals, they like Mathematics or at least see the point of it, they ask how things work, and they are patient with problems that take several attempts. Pre-Technical Studies and Agriculture are good clues too. A learner who loves Pre-Technical Studies may be a natural for Technical Studies, and one who comes alive in Agriculture may suit Applied Sciences.

STEM is not only for the top of the class. Technical Studies in particular rewards practical, hands-on learners, and the Ministry’s guidelines say learners who take Technical Studies subjects are eligible for dual certification: the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education from KNEC at the end of Grade 12, plus an artisan-equivalent certificate from an industrial training institution.

Examples of careers each track prepares for:

• Pure Sciences: medicine, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, engineering, actuarial science, laboratory science, research.
• Applied Sciences: software development, data and IT support, nutrition and dietetics, hospitality, agronomy, veterinary and agribusiness careers.
• Technical Studies: electrical, building and mechanical trades, aviation maintenance, fisheries and marine work, media production, and technician routes into engineering.

Entry requirements for university and TVET courses after Grade 12 are set by KUCCPS and the institutions. They have not been fully published for the new senior school certificate yet, because the first Grade 10 class finishes Grade 12 in 2028. As a rule of thumb, medicine and pharmacy courses have always needed Biology and Chemistry, and engineering has needed Physics and strong Mathematics.

STEM needs laboratories, computer rooms and, for Technical Studies, workshops. Many schools offer Pure Sciences and Applied Sciences; far fewer offer specialist Technical Studies subjects such as Aviation or Marine and Fisheries Technology. The Ministry requires every senior school to offer at least two pathways, so not every school offers STEM, and fewer offer all three tracks. Start with our senior school finder to list schools near you, look at C1 national schools if your child is aiming high, and confirm each school’s STEM combinations on the Ministry’s selection portal.

The best preparation is strong KJSEA results in the learning areas STEM builds on. Practise with our Grade 9 Mathematics, Integrated Science, Pre-Technical Studies and Agriculture revision papers, then test speed with the Grade 9 CBC Challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What subjects are in the STEM pathway?

Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and General Science (Pure Sciences); Computer Studies, Home Science and Agriculture (Applied Sciences); and Aviation, Building Construction, Electricity, Metalwork, Power Mechanics, Woodwork, Media Technology and Marine and Fisheries Technology (Technical Studies). Geography and Business Studies are complementary subjects.

Do STEM learners take Core Mathematics?

Yes. The Ministry’s guidelines say all STEM learners take Core Mathematics, while learners in the other two pathways take Essential Mathematics.

Is STEM only for learners who want to be doctors or engineers?

No. Applied Sciences leads to careers in technology, food and farming, and Technical Studies leads to skilled trades, aviation and media production, with an artisan-equivalent certificate available alongside the KCBE.

Can a STEM learner take a subject from another pathway?

Yes. At least two of the three chosen subjects should be STEM subjects, and the third can come from another pathway, such as French or Business Studies.

• Ministry of Education, Guidelines for Implementation of Senior School Education (October 2025)
• Ministry of Education, Full list of senior schools’ pathways, tracks and subject combinations

Information is checked against official documents as of 18 October 2026. Where the Ministry has not yet announced something for the 2026 cohort, we say so.