Standard reporters continue to disappoint!!!!.....@Mukiha should give them some lessons on numbers!!!!82 points in KCSE, now with 7 subjects, is an A plain (11.71 points). So, in today (6th March 2014) hard copy Standard story of page 3, was it a typo that on the sub-heading and in the story it is indicated twins Linda Gatwiri Kaaria and Brenda Kinya Kaaria of Materi Girls had an A- of 82 points?
The KNEC results showed A- but you know KNEC does not tell you how they have arrived at that. Our reporter and other gate-keepers did not bother but regurgitate the mean grade and ...mess with addition and division.
Linda Gatwiri scored: English-B+ (10); Kiswahili-A- (11); Maths-A (12); Biology-A- (11); Chemistry-A (12); Geography- A(12); Agriculture-A(12) Business Studies-B+(10).
Brenda Kinya Scored: English-B+ (10); Kiswahili-A- (11); Maths-A (12); Biology-A- (11); Chemistry-A (12); Geography- A(12); Agriculture-A(12) Business Studies-A (12).
English, Kiswahili and Maths are compulsory hence their grades have to be part of a candidate's aggregate. There must be two Sciences (from Biology, Chemistry and Physics - when you take all three, KNEC picks the best two for grading and leaves out one if there is a better performed subject from Humanities or Technical group). Two best performed subjects from the rest are picked to make 7 subjects. NOTE: This applies to candidates who have taken more than 7 subjects as the case of these two.
In this case, therefore, each had 56 points from the first 5 subjects. We should then add to Gatwiri's 56, 24 points from Geography and Agriculture (Business is ignored since it has less points compared with Geography and Agriculture but it can help her get to certain courses that need it).
For Kinya's 56 points, we add 24 from any two picked from Geography, Agriculture and Business Studies.
In other words both Gatwiri and Kinya had a mean grade of A- of 80 points. Divide 80 by 7 and you have 11.42 which is A-. Do I need to remind anyone that 11.42 rounded off to a whole number is 11 (A-) while the same done to 11.71 is 12 (A plain)?
Let me guess the reasoning of this reporter. Is it likely she wrongly picked the best performed 7 subjects? In that case Brenda Kinya will score 82 points (English removed) but Linda Gatwiri will still have 80 points. Allow me to guess again. Did this reporter start with Brenda Kinya's results, picked 7 best performed subjects, got 82 points and concluded the other must be also having 82 as they both have A- (and are identical twins)?