From exams to competencies: How CBC is reshaping learning in Kenya

"We have engineers and we have kondoos." That is how one high school mathematics teacher sorted his students, according to Douglas Simiyu, now the principal of Pharo Primary School's Phase Four campus.

The phrase captures an era in Kenyan education where a single examination was widely seen as the ultimate measure of a child's intelligence and future.

That system, the 8-4-4 curriculum, had shaped Kenyan classrooms since 1985. But in 2017, the country began rolling out its replacement; the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). While the broad distinction appears simple; 8-4-4 centred on examinations while CBC emphasises practical skills and continuous learning. The transition has proven to be far more profound than many educators initially expected.

However, according to the teachers now adapting to the new system, the shift is far deeper than what was anticipated. 

According to Mugwe, CBC places learners at the centre of the classroom, encouraging them to explore, question and demonstrate understanding through continuous projects and assessments. Under 8-4-4, by contrast, teaching was largely teacher-driven and success depended heavily on performance in final examinations.

Simiyu, who has taught under the 8-4-4 system, the British curriculum and now CBC, has witnessed the contrast firsthand.

"With 8-4-4, we waited for exams to know who is who," he said. "With CBC, we are able to progressively observe the development of a child."

He points to literature lessons as one of the clearest examples of the philosophical shift. Under the previous curriculum, students were often expected to identify the "correct" interpretation of a character's actions. CBC instead encourages learners to justify their own perspectives.

"The question becomes, 'Why has this character done this from your perspective?'" Simiyu said. "It is not just about my perspective as an examiner or as a teacher."

Mugwe too makes a similar point. In her view, 8-4-4 pushed students towards a single pathway whereas CBC lets different strengths lead to different outcomes. 

Ndiang'ui Ndung'u, an English lecturer at Pwani University since 2015, says his teaching methods have evolved significantly. Where he previously relied on prescribed reading lists, lectures and essays aimed at predetermined conclusions, he now gives students greater freedom to investigate topics independently.

"The learner has to go out and undertake certain research in order to arrive at a certain conclusion," he said.

Across all three educators, a common theme emerges: learning has become more inquiry-driven and less dependent on reproducing predetermined answers.

Perhaps the most visible change for students is how achievement is measured.

Instead of traditional letter grades, CBC evaluates learners as Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Approaching Expectations or Below Expectations.

Simiyu believes the new approach changes how children perceive themselves. "If someone tells you you're almost there, it's motivation that there is some progress that you're making," he said. "As opposed to straight A's or A-minuses where, if you're not in that bracket, then you're not a smart person."

Ranking has not disappeared entirely, he added, but its purpose has changed. Rather than defining a child's academic worth, rankings now primarily help teachers identify learners who need additional support and those ready for greater challenges.

It marks a stark departure from what Simiyu describes as the old "engineers and kondoos" mindset.

The shift also affects opportunities beyond school. Under 8-4-4, university courses came with a mean cutoff grade and falling short of it could see a student repeating a year or missing higher education altogether.

Simiyu describes that environment as "a man-eat-man society," arguing that intense pressure to achieve fixed grades contributed to widespread examination malpractice.

Under CBC, success is no longer tied to a single high-stakes examination.

"If I'm not good at this, then I can be good at that," he said, explaining that a learner who struggles in science, for example, may instead be guided toward areas such as sports or the creative arts.

Not all assessments of CBC, however, are positive.

As universities prepare to receive the first cohorts educated entirely under the new curriculum, Ndung'u says he has noticed worrying trends.

"Studies are no longer as rigorous as they were before," he said.

According to him, some students arrive at university less equipped to read critically, analyse texts and engage deeply with academic material.

His observation presents a notable counterpoint to the optimism expressed by many CBC proponents. A curriculum designed to foster independent thinkers may, at least during its early implementation, be producing learners who require stronger grounding in foundational academic skills.

Whether these challenges reflect transitional difficulties or structural weaknesses remains an open question—one that policymakers, curriculum developers and universities will likely continue to confront as the first fully CBC-trained cohorts progress through higher education.

For Simiyu, however, the broader purpose of CBC extends well beyond academic achievement.

He argues that the curriculum deliberately integrates values such as emotional intelligence, discipline and responsible citizenship alongside literacy and numeracy.

"How are they going to make sure that some of these values are also demonstrated even in their other life?" he asked.

In his view, schools should not simply produce academically successful students but individuals equipped to become responsible leaders, parents and members of society.

He also believes CBC has intentionally borrowed useful elements from international education systems, pointing to what he sees as the emphasis on civic responsibility in the United States.

"It has borrowed a lot," he said, "but it is good borrowing."

Whether CBC ultimately produces more capable, adaptable and well-rounded Kenyans—or a generation less prepared for the academic rigour of university and the demands of the workplace—may not become clear for years.

Whether CBC ultimately produces more capable, well-rounded Kenyans or simply a generation less prepared for the academic rigour of university and the demands of the workplace, may not become clear for years.

Whether CBC ultimately produces more capable, well-rounded Kenyans or simply a generation less prepared for the rigor university and the working world, won’t be clear for years. What is certain, for now, is that the country has traded one definition of success for another and educators on the ground are still working out what that means in practice.