The announcement was made during a press briefing on Wednesday, as the country undertakes a historic and expansive national assessment period impacting over 3.4 million learners.
The 2025 KCSE examinations commenced on October 21 with oral tests and moved into practical papers this week, involving 996,078 registered candidates. Concurrently, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is administering two pivotal exams under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC): the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) for 1,298,089 Grade 6 pupils and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) for 1,130,669 Grade 9 learners.
CS Ogamba, flanked by KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere, outlined the examination timeline.
The KPSEA, marking the conclusion of primary education, runs from October 27 to 29. The KJSEA, which determines transition to senior school, is being held from October 27 to November 3.
“The new system represents a fundamental shift from the old Kenya Certificate of Primary Education model, emphasizing skills, creativity, and continuous learning rather than one-off, high-stakes testing,” Ogamba stated, underscoring the philosophical transformation of the national education framework.
A key outcome of the Grade 9 assessments will be the placement of students into one of three senior school pathways based on their talents, interests, and competencies: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Schools have been categorized into four clusters to facilitate this placement.
Unlike the discontinued KCPE, KJSEA candidates will not receive a certificate. Instead, they will be issued result slips detailing performance per subject.
The final placement score will be a blended measure, with 60 percent derived from the national KJSEA exam and 40 percent from classroom assessments conducted in Grades 7 and 8.
“This integrated approach aims to provide a more holistic and accurate picture of each learner’s abilities and readiness for the next phase,” CS Ogamba explained.
With a total of 3,424,836 candidates sitting for national exams and assessments, KNEC is managing one of the largest and most complex logistical operations in the country’s education history.
The council has assured the public of its preparedness to ensure the integrity and smooth running of the process.
The announcement of the KCSE results in January 2026 sets a clear timeline for Form Four leavers and higher education institutions, allowing for an orderly transition to university and college placement.
Education stakeholders have acknowledged the scale of the transition. The success of this examination period is seen as critical for validating the CBC rollout and building public confidence in the new assessment methodologies.
All eyes are now on KNEC as it moves from administration to the marking and moderation phase, with the promise of results that will shape the academic and professional trajectories of millions of Kenyan youth.
The Ministry of Education is tasked with the formulation and implementation of education policies in Kenya,aiming to provide quality education and training for sustainable development.