Kenyan learners will report back to school on Monday, August 24, 2026, for the third and final term of the academic year, the Ministry of Education has confirmed, setting the stage for a compressed but decisive stretch that will determine the fate of thousands of candidates.
According to the official 2026 calendar shared with regional, county and sub-county directors, Term 3 will run for nine weeks, ending on October 23, before national examinations take over the calendar. It is the shortest term of the year, but arguably the most demanding, as it culminates in assessments that decide learners’ progression to the next stage of education.
Candidates sitting the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will begin their papers on October 26, wrapping up by October 28. The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), administered to Grade 9 learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum, runs from October 26 to October 30. Form Four candidates will sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) from November 2 to November 20, closing out the national exam season.
Once the papers are done, learners proceed on the December holiday, which the ministry has scheduled to run from October 26 to January 1, 2027, a ten-week break.
The ministry reiterated that the long-standing ban on activities and visits to secondary schools remains in force for the whole of Term 3, a measure first introduced by former Education CS Fred Matiang’i to curb malpractice by limiting contact between candidates and outsiders during the exam window.
“Activities and visits to secondary schools in the third term of 2026 remain banned as per the earlier circulars,” the ministry stated.
Beyond the exam calendar, CS Ogamba has signalled that the ministry intends to overhaul the structure of the school year starting next year, after unrest was reported in 204 senior secondary schools nationwide. Officials believe an unusually long second term has contributed to learner fatigue and disciplinary breakdowns.
“Starting next academic year, the ministry shall rationalize the school calendar to ensure that the terms are balanced and that the second term is not as long as it has been,” Ogamba said.
For now, schools are expected to use the opening weeks of Term 3 to complete syllabuses and administer internal assessments before candidates sit for the exams that will shape their academic futures.
