Here is how to calculate the weighted cluster points to check whether you qualify for admission to take a particular course at a Kenyan University or not.  Please note that this article is based on past admissions. JAB has not released the cluster points for KCSE 2010 candidates as at the time of publishing this article. It should therefore serve for illustrative purposes ONLY.

How the Weighted Cluster Points  are arrived at:

Every degree course at the University has the 4 (Four) subjects examined at KCSE level which are considered most relevant for that course and these are called the core subjects. e.g Bachelor of Medicine’s core subjects are: English/Kiswahili, Math/Physics, Biology and Chemistry.
JAB provides a listof  cluster subjects for each university course usually during course revision at provincial head quarters.

To get the weighted cluster points, you need to determine:

1. The Raw Cluster Points
2. Basic Aggregate point



The Raw Cluster Point: The maximum points for any cluster (four subject)  is 48 points – assuming a student scored grade ‘A’ in all the four subjects (12 *4).  The total points of the four cluster subjects is calculated based on a students result slip. This total is also called the Raw Cluster Points.

Basic Aggregate Point: The Basic aggregate point is the aggregate value of the student’s grade. E.g A students could have an A- (minus) of aggregate point between of 74  and 80 points. This is usually indicated on the results slip.

Calculating the Weighted Cluster Point: The following fomula is used to calculate the weighted cluster point:

Where: 
w = Weighted Cluster Point
c = Raw Cluster Point
a = Aggregate Cluster Point

There is a table with precalculated Weighted Cluster Points based on the fomula above. See  the table here: http://www5.uonbi.ac.ke/partners/jab/files/WCW_1dec.pdf  With this table simple match your aggregate cluster point on the Verticle Axis and your Raw Cluster Points for a given course on the Horizontal Axis and read the Weighted Cluster Point at their intersection.

Please note that this might not be the same fomula applied to arrive at the weighted cluster points for KCSE 2010 candidates, however , it gives an idea of the weighted cluster method affects ones qualification for a given course.