Heads of Institutions Granted Deadline Extension to 30th September to Clear Candidate SBA Gaps
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has officially reopened the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal, offering a crucial lifeline to schools with missing or incomplete School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores for KPSEA and KJSEA candidates.
Heads of Institutions (HOIs) have until 30th September 2026 to upload all pending scores and rectify data entry gaps.
This intervention addresses a recurrent logistical challenge where system lockouts leave learners with missing data points that threaten to distort their final summative grade architecture.
The Architecture of Competency-Based Assessments
Under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), assessment is a continuous, multi-layered journey rather than a single high-stakes examination at the end of an educational tier.
KNEC coordinates school-based projects and tests spanning from Grade 3 through Grade 11, distributed strategically across terms.
Term Two Practical Focus: Learners engage in hands-on projects and practical tasks. In primary and junior schools, these are primarily centered around three core learning areas: Science and Technology, Agriculture and Nutrition, and Creative Arts and Sports.
Term Three Written Evaluation: Learners complete standardized written tests supplied by the council through the CBA portal.
Tier-Specific Implementation and Grade Exemptions
Assessments are tailored to specific educational milestones across primary, junior school, and senior school levels, with specific grades exempted due to their preparation for terminal national evaluations:
Grade 3 (Early Years): Pupils undergo registration on the KNEC CBA portal for the first time to complete the Integrated Learning Assessment (ILA), part of the Kenya Early Year Assessment (KEYA). Term two combines multiple learning areas into a single integrated practical project, while term three features a combined written exam, though Mathematics maintains a separate dedicated paper. Grade 3 scores act purely as diagnostic benchmarks and do not roll over into upper primary calculations.
Upper Primary (Grades 4 and 5): Continuous SBA components are systematically logged across both grades. Grade 6 is exempted from school-based score accumulation because learners sit for their terminal primary milestone, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
Junior School (Grades 7 and 8): Continuous assessments form a vital part of middle school tracking. Grade 9 is exempted from SBA uploads as learners focus entirely on preparing for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Senior School (Grades 10 and 11): Assessments continue down specialized pathways, while Grade 12 is spared to concentrate on the final Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE).
Scoring Weights and the Danger of Data Gaps
School-based assessments are not minor additions; they directly dictate a substantial percentage of a learner’s final qualification.
Across the primary and junior school tiers, continuous SBA projects and written tests account for 15% to 20% of the final score depending on the specific grade cluster, combining with summative national examinations to formulate the ultimate grade.
For instance, in upper primary, Grade 4 and Grade 5 continuous scores accumulate to form a baseline percentage toward the final transition framework, complemented by the KPSEA terminal score. Similar cumulative weighting applies to KJSEA in junior school and KCBE in senior school.
When schools fail to upload these scores within designated operational windows, the portal locks automatically. Left unresolved, these omissions create permanent gaps on candidate profiles.
Because the CBC framework relies on integrated digital reporting—issuing progress reports for KPSEA and KJSEA, and culminating in a single foundational certificate (KCBE) at the end of basic education—unsubmitted data directly penalizes innocent learners through artificially suppressed final scores.
Mandate for Heads of Institutions
To preempt systemic anomalies, KNEC’s directive requires all Heads of Institutions to audit their institutional portals immediately.
School administrators must ensure that every candidate has complete data entries.For students who missed specific project milestones or practical sessions due to genuine absenteeism, administrators are explicitly instructed to map their status accurately by inserting “AB” on the portal rather than leaving fields blank.
With the final countdown locked to 30th September 2026, educational administrators must treat this portal reopening as an urgent operational priority to safeguard candidate results.