KPSEA exams kick off for 1.3 million Grade 6 students nationwide

1,303,913 Grade 6 students across Kenya will officially start their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) today, Monday, October 28.

This year’s assessment, the third under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), will run from Monday through Wednesday. It will cover a range of subjects aimed at gauging students' understanding and application of essential skills.

Spearheaded by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), the candidates will start with Mathematics and English papers on Monday.

They will then continue with Integrated Science and Kiswahili on Tuesday, concluding their exams on Wednesday with Creative Arts and Social Studies.

Rehearsals were held last Friday, with primary schools nationwide preparing students for the assessments by reviewing guidelines, arranging exam rooms, removing classroom decorations, clearing wall charts, and ensuring desks were tidy.

Chairman of the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association, Johnson Nzioka, assured that this year’s assessment process had a noticeably more relaxed atmosphere.

He noted the absence of the intense competition typically associated with the former KCPE exams, which have now been fully replaced by the KPSEA under the CBC.

“Our teachers are fully prepared and know what to do, given that they will be the ones to administer the test,” Nzioka said, adding that KNEC has provided necessary support to all participating schools.

The Kenya Private Schools Association Chairman, Charles Ochome, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of creating a calm environment for both students and teachers.

“One thing we are keen on is to ensure we reset the mindset of our children and teachers so that they are relaxed while taking this assessment,” Ochome said.

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) also urged teachers to ensure that candidates clearly understand the instructions given for the assessments and are aware of the penalties for assessment irregularities or misconduct.

Candidates were also cautioned against engaging in exam malpractice, with KNEC warning of severe consequences.

"A candidate who commits an assessment irregularity in any paper will have the results for the whole subject cancelled. Such a candidate will not be entitled to a result for the subject. This will be reflected as (00)," KNEC warned.

This year marks a significant shift for Kenya’s primary school students, who, for the first time, will not sit for the KCPE exams, signalling a complete transition to a system intended to reduce exam pressure and foster a broader range of competencies among learners.

Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has reiterated that the government plans to align the CBC with higher education institutions by 2029.

Ogamba urged universities to prioritise research and innovation and to prepare their curricula to welcome the first cohort of CBC-educated students in five years.

“We urge universities to rise to the occasion and lead in research and innovation. In line with this, I want to urge universities to work round the clock to ensure they have reviewed their curriculum to align with CBC in readiness of the admission of the first cohorts in 2029,” Ogamba said during a graduation ceremony at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.