The Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service opened the portal towards the end of last month so that 2024 KCSE candidates can apply for degree courses.

Candidates who scored grade C+ and above are eligible to apply for the courses.

As learners are eager to complete the first step in furthering their education, KUCCPS has listed 7 mistakes that they are bound to make during the application process.

These mistakes include;

1. Filling the contact form with incorrect phone numbers.

When a candidate fails to submit his/her correct phone numbers, they will not be able to access crucial information that KUCCPS usually send to applicants via the phone numbers submitted.

2. Leaving courses in the Course Basket without submitting an application.

Once an applicant has selected enough courses and placed them in the basket, he/she should ensure that the courses in the basket are submitted, This is done by clicking the Application/Revision option followed by Apply Now.

3. Applying for only one Programme and Leaving other Choices Blank.

Another mistake that applicants are bound to make is to only apply for one course instead of four. According to KUCCPS, if an applicant selects only one program, they limit their chances of placement to one instead of four.

4. Applying for the same course in all the choices.

KUCCPS has discouraged applicants against applying for one course  in all the four options. This is because it is risky especially for those eyeing competitive courses such as  Medicine, Engineering, Nursing and Pharmacy.

“Applicants are advised to have different options to minimise the risk of missing out on placement,” KUCCPS said in a statement.

5. Selecting only one course in one institution.

Applying for only one course in one institution limits your chances of being placed.

6. Arranging courses randomly in the online application form.

“When applying, ensure you arrange the courses in your order of priority, with Choice Number 1 being your most preferred course and number four being your least preferred. Arranging them randomly means you are likely to get a course that is not your most preferred. For degree programmes, Choice 1a, 1b and 1c should be the same programme in three different universities, arranged in your order of priority. The remaining (2,3, and 4) can be any course in any university, also in your order of priority,” KUCCPS stated.

7. Using the M-Pesa Transaction ID to submit application instead of eCitizen account.

Once the payment has been made, an applicant should be keen on submitting e-citizen account and not M-pesa transaction ID.

“On making a payment, you will receive a confirmation SMS from M-Pesa. The message contains both the M-Pesa transaction ID (a combination of letters and numbers appearing at the beginning of the message) and an eCitizen account (a combination of letters appearing in the middle of the message). Use the eCitizen account to submit,” KUCCPS said.