The Ministry of Education today released the results of the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), ending weeks of anticipation for more than 1.1 million Grade 9 learners and marking a pivotal milestone in Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) reforms. The inaugural assessment under the new curriculum ushers the first cohort into senior secondary pathways beginning January 12, 2026.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba described the release as a defining moment for the country’s educational transformation. “CBE is a forward-looking framework designed to ensure learners acquire the skills, values, and attitudes needed to succeed in a dynamic 21st-century environment,” Ogamba said. He emphasized that the new system moves beyond the traditional 8-4-4 approach of high-stakes exams, shifting towards a holistic evaluation of learners’ competencies, creativity, and attitudes.
A total of 1,130,459 learners sat the KJSEA, comprising 578,630 boys and 551,829 girls – a nearly balanced gender distribution. Their performance has been assessed under a detailed four-band structure: Exceeding Expectations (EE), Meeting Expectations (ME), Approaching Expectations (AE), and Below Expectations (BE), with eight sub-levels providing deeper insight into strengths and learning gaps. This blended assessment model contributes 60 percent of the final placement score, while school-based assessments from Grades 7 and 8 and KPSEA results contribute 40 percent collectively.
The assessment, conducted between October 27 and November 3, 2025, will inform placement into senior secondary schools, taking into account learner preferences, merit, aptitude, equity, school capacity, and psychometric test results. CS Ogamba reiterated that the new approach “moves away from placements based predominantly on examination scores, enabling specialization informed by learner aptitude and interests.”
Senior schools are grouped into four tiers: National (C1), Extra County (C2), County (C3), and Sub-County (C4) – offering pathways in STEM, Social Sciences, Arts & Sports, and blended options such as STEMS. Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok assured that all 1.1 million candidates will secure placement, noting that the country has a capacity of 2.4 million senior school spaces. Placement letters will be issued within a week of the results’ release, with reporting set for January 12, 2026.
Learners and parents can access results through the KNEC online portal or collect printed slips from schools. School choices can also be viewed via SMS by sending the learner’s assessment number to 22263 at KSh 30. KNEC has, however, warned the public to beware of fake USSD codes and scams circulating online. “Beware of agents of fake news and misinformation. Do NOT be misled!” the council cautioned.
The Ministry maintains that the new system is designed to nurture competent, creative, and confident learners equipped to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
