The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has directed all primary and junior school principals across the country to verify the upload status of School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores for learners expected to sit the 2026 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
In a notice issued on Thursday, July 2, KNEC instructed heads of institutions to access their schools’ Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal and confirm that SBA scores for all eligible candidates have been successfully uploaded before the exercise closes on July 30, 2026.
The council said the verification exercise forms part of its ongoing preparations for this year’s national assessments under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), and is intended to ensure that all learner records have been accurately captured ahead of the examinations.
“KNEC is in the process of verifying the capturing of SBA scores by schools. All Heads of Institutions are therefore expected to log into their school CBA portals to confirm the status of uploading of SBA scores for their 2026 KPSEA and KJSEA candidates. This should be done by 30th July 2026,” the council said in the notice.
The examination body emphasized that principals have a responsibility to ensure that all eligible candidates’ assessment records are complete and correctly uploaded, warning that accurate SBA data is a critical component in determining learners’ final assessment outcomes.
School-Based Assessments have become a central feature of the Competency-Based Curriculum, with continuous learner evaluations conducted over several years contributing significantly to the final national assessment score.
For learners sitting the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), SBA scores accumulated in Grades 4, 5 and 6 account for approximately 60 per cent of the final score. The remaining 40 per cent is derived from the national assessment administered by KNEC, with the combined results determining learners’ transition to junior secondary school.
According to the national examination calendar, the 2026 KPSEA examinations are scheduled to be administered from Monday, October 26, to Wednesday, October 28.
For candidates sitting the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), the assessment structure is slightly different. School-Based Assessments conducted during Grades 7 and 8 contribute 20 per cent of the overall score, while the final summative assessment administered by KNEC accounts for 60 per cent. The remaining 20 per cent is drawn from the learner’s KPSEA performance.
The 2026 KJSEA examinations are expected to run from Monday, October 26, through Friday, October 30.
The latest directive comes as KNEC intensifies nationwide preparations for this year’s assessments, with the council rolling out several activities aimed at ensuring the smooth implementation of the CBC assessment framework.
Recently, KNEC announced that schools can now access School-Based Assessment projects and practical examinations for Grade 10 learners as well as vocational level candidates. Institutions have been instructed to administer the projects and practical assessments during the second school term before uploading learners’ scores to the CBA portal by October 31, 2026.
The council further clarified that while projects and practical examinations will be conducted during the second term, written assessments for the affected learners will take place during the third term in accordance with the national assessment schedule.
In addition to the school-based assessments, KNEC has also begun preparations for the administration of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. As part of the exercise, the council recently invited qualified teachers to apply for recruitment as exam assessors for oral and practical examination components, marking the beginning of activities leading up to this year’s national examinations.
The verification of SBA scores is expected to play a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of the CBC assessment process by ensuring that every learner’s continuous assessment records are accurately reflected before the commencement of the national examinations later this year.
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