If you are an active social media users, you have probably come across the trending hashtag #9Ps, but what exactly does 9Ps means and why is it important to law students in Kenya?
In Kenya, the term 9Ps refers to achieving a perfect score of “Nine Passes” in 9 core Advocates Training Program (ATP) subjects offered by the Kenya School of Law (KSL).
The ATP is an 18-month programme which includes 12 months of in house training and 6 months of pupilage.
Pupilage is a mandatory practical period where aspiring advocates train with experienced lawyers reffered to as “Pupil Masters”
The 9 units offered under ATP include: Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Probate and Administration, Legal Writing and Drafting, Trial Advocacy, Professional Ethics, Legal Practice Management, Conveyancing and Commercial Transactions where each unit comprises of the oral, project and written examination components.
The pass mark for each unit of the ATP Examination is 50% and the results are graded as pass (P) or Fail (F), hence the #9Ps
Oral Examination, which takes up 20%, Project Woek which is 20% and Written Examination which is 60% are used to determine a candidate’s total marks.
A candidate who fails to attain the pass mark may apply for remark of the unit(s) failed at a fee, paid to KSL.
Upon uccessful completion of the ATP, the Council issues a Certificate of Compliance and Final Transcript, and the names of all successful candidates are published in the Kenya Gazette, thereby rendering them eligible for admission to the Roll of Advocates.
During the November 2025 ATP Examination, 397 out of the total number of 1,834 examined candidates passed the 9 units
A total of 1,133 candidates had applied for re-sit.
