Pure Sciences is the STEM track for future doctors, engineers and scientists. Explore its combinations below.
Check whether Pure Sciences fits your child
What Pure Sciences covers
What the Pure Sciences Track Covers
Pure Sciences is one of three tracks in the STEM pathway. The Ministry of Education’s senior school guidelines, citing KICD, list five subjects in it: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and General Science. These are the “classic” sciences that explain how the natural world works, and they are the foundation for most science-based university degrees.
On the Ministry’s combinations list, Pure Sciences has 83 combinations. The most common subject is Advanced Mathematics, which appears in 50 of them, followed by Biology, Chemistry and Physics in 36 each. Many combinations pair two pure sciences with a subject from another STEM track or a complementary subject, for example Biology and Chemistry with Computer Studies, or Physics and Advanced Mathematics with Electricity. The familiar Biology, Chemistry and Physics combination is there too.
Because Pure Sciences is in STEM, learners take Core Mathematics as one of their four core subjects, along with English, Kiswahili (or Kenyan Sign Language) and Community Service Learning.
Is it right for your child?
Pure Sciences suits learners who enjoy Integrated Science and Mathematics in junior school and are comfortable with abstract ideas: formulas, models, cause and effect. It also demands steady work. Senior school sciences build week on week, so a learner who falls behind finds it hard to catch up. Look for:
- consistently good levels (ME and above) in Mathematics and Integrated Science across Grades 7 and 8;
- curiosity about why things happen, not just what happens;
- a career idea that genuinely needs the pure sciences, or enough interest to keep options open.
Pure Sciences is not automatically “the best” track. It is right for some careers and a poor fit for others. A child who loves technology but dislikes Biology may do better in Applied Sciences, and a practical builder may be happier in Technical Studies.
Careers
Examples of careers Pure Sciences prepares for: medicine and surgery, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing and clinical medicine, medical laboratory science, veterinary medicine, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, actuarial science, statistics, geology, and scientific research. Medicine and pharmacy courses have long required Biology and Chemistry; engineering has required Physics and strong Mathematics. Requirements for learners finishing the new senior school (from 2028) will be set by KUCCPS and universities, so keep an eye on their announcements.
Which schools offer it
Pure Sciences needs well-equipped laboratories, so check facilities when choosing. Use our senior school finder to list schools by county and cluster, and browse C1 and C2 schools if your child is targeting boarding. Confirm the exact Pure Sciences combinations a school offers on the Ministry’s selection portal before ranking it, because no school offers all 83.
Get ready now
Revise with our Grade 9 Mathematics and Integrated Science papers and race the clock in the Grade 9 CBC Challenge. KJSEA counts for 60% of the placement score.
Questions parents ask
Frequently Asked Questions
Which subjects are in the Pure Sciences track?
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and General Science, according to the Ministry of Education’s senior school guidelines citing KICD.
Do I have to take Biology, Chemistry and Physics together?
No. That is one of 83 Pure Sciences combinations. Others mix two sciences with subjects such as Computer Studies, Geography, Agriculture or a technical subject.
What Mathematics do Pure Sciences learners take?
Core Mathematics, as all STEM learners do. Many Pure Sciences combinations also include Advanced Mathematics as one of the three chosen subjects.
Is Pure Sciences needed for medicine?
Medicine has traditionally needed Biology and Chemistry, which are Pure Sciences subjects. The exact requirements for the new senior school certificate will be set by KUCCPS and universities.
Sources
- 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.