The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has outlined how the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) will be scored and graded.
The Grade 9 learners will be transitioning to Grade 10 in January 2026.
The pioneer CBC cohorts already completed selection of senior schools, Grade 10 subject combinations, tracks and pathways.
The KJSEA will start on 27th October to 3rd November 2025. The learners will however start with rehearsals on 24th October.
Learner performance in the KJSEA will be key in placement to senior school in December.
NEW KJSEA GRADING SYSTEM (by KNEC)
KJSEA now uses 8 achievement levels with points:
✅ Exceeding Expectations
EE1 (AL 8): 90–100% = 8 points (Exceptional)
EE2 (AL 7): 75–89% = 7 points (Very Good)
✅ Meeting Expectations
ME1 (AL 6): 58–74% = 6 points (Good)
ME2 (AL 5): 41–57% = 5 points (Fair)
✅ Approaching Expectations
AE1 (AL 4): 31–40% = 4 points (Needs Improvement)
AE2 (AL 3): 21–30% = 3 points (Below Average)
✅ Below Expectations
BE1 (AL 2): 11–20% = 2 points (Well Below Average)
BE2 (AL 1): 1–10% = 1 point (Minimal)
📊 Final Placement in Senior Secondary
KJSEA (Junior) = 60%
SBA (School Based Assessment done in Grades 7 and 8) = 20%
KPSEA (Primary) = 20%
Final Score = (KJSEA 60%) + (SBA 20%) + (KPSEA 20%) Total 100%
This grading system is not different from the previous system. It may be worse. How does a teenager feel when labelled a ” Well below average” student or “Exceptional” student. The two are both abnormal, extreme negative and extreme positive. In both students you asign a destiny. Are you aware that some creative juakali inovators were “well below average ” mathematics…? But now they are building house that theoretical engineers with their PhD can not even design!
Grading system is still academic oriented. If we’ll assessed, no learner can be below expectations.
Only that the learner was not exposed to the right environment due to our poverty. So no exposure at all.
Teachers were teaching theory….
Every grading must award the best and degrade the none achiever.
The grading system is good so. Long as al students in get places to learn in senior secondary school.
What will be the overall score like the current mean grade or total marks
The systems still over assess the grading of the new system which is good and nice implemented for our efforts to motivation learners to do so the high level of the result may God bless 🙌 which are trying to create the best always l love it
So back to exam competition. Why was 844 scrapped off coz we are back there. Surely the more things seam to change the more they remain the same
Surely.!! What is this now? 844 was better off because it never pronounced a learner vividly as below expectation 2. It’s like a certificate written POOR. I thought there will be no exams in cBC! If this is the case lazima mtiani utaibwa
The system is also encouraging Ranking..
There is still some change here,changing a national system is not that easy,..given time,they will keep working on this new system until we get the desired change.
How will the kepsea results be counted
How is it competence based? I am lost😔
Where is the competency issue if assessments will be used to place the learners… changing the name from exams to assessments makes no difference
Mimi hata sijaelewa kitu… Lazima niko below expectation
Let’s involve education experts. I don’t think this is from experts. I thought in any curriculum being developed, the grading system should be embedded in it. Why are we unveiling it now. Whoever approved the curriculum should have approved the grading system as well. Why do things haphazardly?
I don’t know why y’all are complaining. In every country in the world, there must be a grading system and there must be a top student and an average student and one who’s below average. The good thing about this one is that everyone will get a place no matter what ranking they use. I mean of someone scores Below 20% what can that be called if not below expectation..
We are still where we sought to leave from.
Still determining who goes to Alliance and who goes to Mathioya Day on the basis of “a grading system”.
Still profiling pupils on the basis of the the result of 3 assessments in 9 years.
Still far from the dream
It’s quiet incredible 👏
I have a Question will there be standardization of marks of the learners and if so Why are you doing so
I have a Question will there be standardization of marks of the learners and if so Why are you doing so
I have a Question will there be standardization of marks of the learners
I have a Question will there be standardization of marks of the learners
The system is not badly off because the child’s potential is observed from the beginning. One cannot be “below average” at class level then “exceptional” in the final exam. Some of the areas that call for creating awareness to learners are choosing career pathways, at this age most of them know careers by titles and not what it entails. Students may find it difficult to change pathways if they realize later that they chose a wrong track.
We are just a month from the KJSEA exams and parents or students are not aware of the grading system. Shameful.
We are also back to grading system and calling someone below expectation is wiered.
Let’s wait and see…prayerfully.
You are going to make cheating in Exams continue