AI illustration of a teacher assessing learners for Agriculture project on plant growth.The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has extended the deadline for schools to upload School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores for Grade 4 and Grade 5 learners to June 18.
"All heads of institutions are encouraged to utilise this opportunity to complete all pending uploads and address any gaps before the portal is closed," Knec said in a notice.
The council warned that penalties will apply for non-compliance after the extended deadline and clarified that registration for the 2026 KPSEA, KJSEA and KCSE examinations has already closed.
"The deadline for the upload of Grades 4 and 5 SBA scores onto the CBA portal has been extended for two weeks until Thursday, June 18, 2026," Knec said.
SBA is a formative assessment through which teachers plan, administer, score and report learner tasks at the school level.
The assessments evaluate cognitive, practical and psychomotor skills through continuous assignments, projects and practical activities, with the results contributing directly to a learner's final academic score.
According to the 2026 SBA and Special Needs Education (SNE) SBA projects and practical assessments schedule released by Knec in February, schools were required to administer the projects and practicals, score them and upload the results for all learners on the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal by May 29, 2026.
"The materials required for the assessments should be obtained from the immediate school environment or improvised as much as possible. Headteachers are requested to keep all records and evidence generated from the assessments," Knec said.
The subjects with projects and practicals in Grades 4 and 5 are Science and Technology, Creative Arts and Sports, and Agriculture.
Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, School-Based Assessments officially begin in the second term of each academic year.
For practical learning areas such as Agriculture, projects may run for up to three months because they involve implementation, observation and monitoring.
Knec directed schools to commence the practical projects on March 2.
For most other learning areas, learners are usually given a minimum of three weeks to complete projects before teachers upload scores and supporting evidence to the Knec SBA portal.
Depending on the learning area and the complexity of each task, projects may be undertaken individually or in groups, allowing learners to develop teamwork, communication and collaboration skills alongside academic competencies.
The projects are designed to assess practical skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities and the application of knowledge in real-life situations.
The second SBA is typically conducted during the third term. Unlike the first SBA, it mainly takes the form of a written assessment and does not involve practical activities or projects.
School-Based Assessments conducted in upper primary — Grades 4, 5 and 6 — each contribute 20 per cent towards a learner's final Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) score.
The national summative assessment, KPSEA, accounts for the remaining 40 per cent of the final score.
After sitting KPSEA, learners transition to junior school, comprising Grades 7, 8 and 9.
