Schools begin registering candidates for first-ever Junior assessment tests
More than 1.2 million Grade 9 learners are expected to sit for the KJSEA in November ahead of their transition to Senior School next year.
The registration process for the first Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has officially started, marking a key step for learners transitioning to Senior School.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) announced that the exercise, which began this week, will close on March 28, 2025.
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According to KNEC, registration is being conducted through its online portal, accessible to schools via a secure login. KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere said the KJSEA will be structured using a combination of different assessments.
“As per the presidential working party, we will use 20 percent of KPSEA, 20 percent of Grade 7 and 8 School-Based Assessment, and 60 percent summative KJSEA,” he said.
Each school has access to the portal, allowing parents to obtain information about their children's registration and performance through the institutions.
KPSEA performance reports are also available in the portal, as are the School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores, which schools upload after administering and marking the assessments.
“Please note that the KJSEA registration portal is only accessible through KNEC. All heads of institutions presenting candidates for 2025 KJSEA should log in to the portal and register their learners before the portal is closed on March 28, 2025,” KNEC stated.
Learners eligible for KJSEA must be listed in the Grade 9 database, have a KPSEA performance report, and have completed SBA scores for Grade 7 and 8 across all learning areas.
The council warned that requests for transfers at Grade 9 must be made online before registration closes to prevent duplicate entries.
“Transfer of candidates will not be allowed after the closure of the registration portal on March 28, 2025,” KNEC added.
KPSEA is administered in Grade 6 but does not determine placement in Junior Secondary School. Instead, it is used to track learning progress.
“We did a pilot of the KJSEA summative assessment last year and uploaded sample papers to help schools prepare candidates on what to expect at the end of the year,” Dr. Njengere noted.
The National Parents Association (NPA) has urged the government to support training efforts for parents on CBC.
“Many parents are not informed about what CBC is. However, the state has done its part through schools and KNEC to create awareness. These are continuous assessments. Heads of institutions should invite parents to inform them about the upcoming assessment,” said NPA Chairman Silas Obuhatsa.
Obuhatsa added that the Ministry of Education, KNEC, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) have scheduled a stakeholder meeting to discuss CBC matters.
“The Ministry of Education and KNEC have done their work. Education dialogue is coming up very soon. We urge parents to come out in large numbers and air their views on what they feel should be improved as far as CBC is concerned,” he said.
More than 1.2 million Grade 9 learners are expected to sit for the KJSEA in November ahead of their transition to Senior School next year.
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