The Kenya National Examinations Council has extended the deadline for uploading Grade 4 and Grade 5 School-Based Assessment scores by two weeks, warning schools that failure to comply will attract a penalty of Ksh1,000 for every learner whose results remain unsubmitted.
In a notice issued on Friday, KNEC announced that the new deadline is Thursday, June 18, 2026, after it emerged that a significant number of primary schools had either partially uploaded or completely failed to submit scores by the original May 29 cutoff.
“Following closure of the portal for the upload of Grade 4 and 5 SBA scores, it has been noted that some institutions either partially uploaded or did not upload their scores. In response to numerous requests received, KNEC has reopened the portal for a further two weeks effective today,” the council stated.
KNEC urged heads of institutions to treat the extension as a final opportunity to clear all pending submissions and correct any gaps in learner records before the portal is permanently closed.
“You are requested to utilise this opportunity to complete all pending uploads and address any gaps. Please note that penalties may apply for non-compliance after the extended deadline,” KNEC added, signalling that no further extensions should be anticipated.
Beyond the financial penalty, schools that miss the revised deadline also risk being subjected to official audits of their assessment management procedures — a prospect that adds administrative pressure on already stretched school administrations.
Education stakeholders have linked the widespread delays to the demanding nature of KNEC’s newly introduced Competency-Based Assessment portal. Among the challenges cited are One-Time Password verification requirements, decentralised teacher access, and the need to re-register learners before scores can be entered into the system.
The council also cautioned schools against waiting until the final hours before the deadline, warning that heavy portal traffic in the closing days could slow down submissions and increase the risk of incomplete uploads.
Schools are required to submit SBA scores for Science and Technology, Agriculture, and Creative Arts and Sports — three key learning areas under the Competency-Based Curriculum framework.
KNEC further advised institutions encountering technical difficulties to contact their respective Sub-County Directors of Education for assistance, and urged all schools to retain physical assessment records, including project score sheets and learner portfolios, for possible future verification.
The extension comes as Kenya’s education sector continues to navigate the transition to CBC, a system that demands greater institutional capacity for continuous digital assessment — a capacity many schools are still building.
The message from KNEC is clear: June 18 is the final deadline, and the cost of missing it will be counted learner by learner.
