AI illustration of a school principal verifying student assessment scores on the Competency-Based Assessment portal.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has directed all schools to confirm the status of school-based assessment (SBA) scores for candidates sitting this year's Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
KNEC has set July 30 as the deadline for the verification exercise.
The exercise is aimed at ensuring that all continuous assessment scores have been correctly uploaded and captured in the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal before the candidates sit their national assessments later this year.
KPSEA is administered to Grade 6 learners at the end of primary school, while KJSEA is taken by Grade 9 learners as they complete the junior school cycle under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum.
Under the CBE assessment framework, learners' final results are derived from a combination of school-based assessments conducted over several years and the national summative assessment.
For KPSEA candidates, SBA scores accumulated in Grades 4, 5 and 6 account for 60 per cent of the final score, while the national assessment contributes the remaining 40 per cent.
For KJSEA candidates, the assessment is spread across different stages of learning.
The learner's KPSEA performance accounts for 20 per cent of the final score, school-based assessment scores from Grades 7 and 8 contribute another 20 per cent, while the Grade 9 national summative assessment (KJSEA) contributes the remaining 60 per cent.
In a notice issued to schools, KNEC said it is currently verifying the capture of SBA scores for all candidates expected to sit the 2026 KPSEA and KJSEA examinations.
"All heads of institutions are therefore expected to log into their school CBA portals to confirm the status of uploading of SBA scores for their 2026 KPSEA and KJSEA candidates," the council said.
"This should be done by July 30, 2026."
The council's latest directive follows an earlier exercise in which schools were required to upload SBA scores for Grade 4 and Grade 5 learners.
KNEC had extended the submission deadline to June 18 and warned that schools failing to comply would face penalties.
The verification process is intended to identify and rectify any omissions or errors before candidates' records are finalised, helping to ensure that every learner receives the correct assessment outcome based on both classroom performance and national examinations.
KNEC also announced that the July 30 deadline will apply to the registration of Grade 10 learners on the CBA portal following the completion of registration for senior school assessment centres on May 22.
The council cautioned that schools which failed to register as recognised assessment centres during the registration period will not be permitted to register Grade 10 learners on the CBA system.
The registration of Grade 10 learners marks another milestone in the implementation of the CBE since the first cohort transitioned to senior school in January.
Timely compliance with KNEC's requirements is essential for schools across the country because under the CBE, school-based assessments determine the final score learners will get in the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) in Grade 12.
Formative assessments during Grades 10 and 11 each contribute 15 per cent to the final subject score, while the Grade 12 summative assessment accounts for the remaining 70 per cent.
