2025 KJSEA: KNEC explains how learners' results were calculated

The inaugural class of the Kenya Junior Secondary School Assessment (KJSEA) under the competency-based curriculum received their results on Thursday, setting the stage for the transition to senior secondary school.

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), however, gave a breakdown of how the assigned results were tabulated across the eight learning areas, as well as the cumulative total.

KNEC CEO David Njengere took time to explain the formula used in arriving at each learner's results.

KNEC says the results featured the KPSEA performance reports, school-based assessment scores for Grade 7, performance in three projects administered in Grade 9, as well as the performance in the summative assessment that was done in November.

"In order to report on the performance of the learners as they transit to senior school, as guided by the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) and the aspirations of competency-based education, reporting entailed tracking the learners’ performance through their learning journey," said Njengere.

Every subject has a maximum of eight points and given the nine that were tested, the maximum points a candidate can score are 72. These are clustered in exceeding expectation, meeting expectation, approaching expectation, and below expectation.

"The metric on grading at KJSEA has taken a similar approach, with each level being further divided into two, hence an 8-point scale. The reporting of performance at KJSEA has thus been done from point 1 to 8, where point 8 is the best at exceeding expectation 1 and point 1 is the least at below expectation 2," Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba said.

The KJSEA summative assessment consisted of written papers and dry practicals or projects across nine learning areas. Most subjects had a single paper, while languages, Integrated Science, and manipulative subjects had two papers due to the composition, practical, or project components.

"This assessment goes beyond traditional examinations; it focuses on identifying learners’ strengths, aptitudes, and interests, ensuring that every child is placed in an environment where they can excel and realise their full potential," stated Ogamba.

Dr. Njengere added, "We, as an educational assessment institution, are therefore confident that the assessment of the candidates whose results we are releasing today gave varying opportunities for individual learners to exhibit their competencies and individual strengths at varied times. Sir, this is a clear indicator that the education system of the country has matured from being one that ‘labels’ learners as successful or failures."

The phased rollout of the competency-based curriculum began in the lower grades in 2019, with the first CBC cohort set to transition into senior secondary school in 2026.

The system replaced the 8-4-4 curriculum, which had been in place for over three decades.