The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has introduced a Sh 500 penalty for both public and private junior schools that miss the deadline for submitting Grade 9 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) project scores.
Projects and performance tasks for Grades 3, 7, and 8 are already available on KNEC’s Competency Based Assessment (CBA) platform. Schools are required to download these materials, administer the assessments, and upload the learners’ scores within the specified timelines.
For Grades 3, 7, and 8, the deadline to upload scores on the CBA portal is midnight on 31st July 2025. Grade 9 KJSEA project scores must be submitted by 30th August 2025.
Junior secondary school classes; Grades 7, 8, and 9, will all take part in Creative Arts and Sports projects as part of their assessments. The first CBC cohort is scheduled to complete their final junior school assessment, the KJSEA, between 27th October and 6th November 2025.
KNEC has explained how scores from both primary and junior secondary levels will be combined to guide learner placement into senior secondary education. By March 2028, about two million learners had registered for the KJSEA.
To support preparations, primary school headteachers submitted KJSEA nominal rolls through their sub-county directors by 9th May 2025.
The assessment framework includes School Based Assessments (SBA), which make up 20% of the total score. These SBAs take place in Grades 7 and 8, spread over terms two and three. Term two focuses on projects and practical tasks, while term three covers theoretical assessments.
Before moving to junior secondary, learners sit for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in Grade 6, which also contributes 20% to their total score.
After completing KPSEA, learners enter junior secondary at Grade 7. The KJSEA assessment then accounts for 60% of the final score used for placement.
KNEC combines the scores as follows to determine senior secondary placement:
| Assessment Component | Contribution (%) |
|---|---|
| School Based Assessments (SBA) | 20 |
| Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) | 20 |
| Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) | 60 |
Placement into senior secondary schools will be based on these combined scores and aligned with the learners’ chosen educational pathways.
The first CBC learners are expected to transition to senior secondary in 2026, starting a three-year program covering Grades 10 to 12.
This approach aims to make assessment and placement clearer and fairer for all learners.
