Learners get transcripts, not certificates in KJSEA results

By Newsflash Writer

The release of the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results today, Thursday, December 11, 2025, marks a major milestone in the rollout of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

As this is the first national examination under the new framework, learners, teachers and parents are keenly awaiting clarity on how scores have been graded and computed.

A total of 1.1 million candidates sat the assessment, and their results will be issued in a new format unfamiliar to many Kenyans. Each learner will receive a descriptive performance statement accompanied by a numerical score. Every subject carries a maximum of eight points and, with nine subjects tested, the highest an individual can score is 72. This structure makes it impossible to rank candidates based on cumulative percentages.

New scoring and placement system

The exact percentage marks earned by candidates will not be revealed to them. Instead, the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) will use those percentages to categorise learners into four performance bands: Exceeding Expectation, Meeting Expectation, Approaching Expectation and Below Expectation. Knec will forward the data to the Ministry of Education, which will rely on the scores to place learners in senior schools.

Learners will receive transcripts showing their performance across different learning areas without disclosing precise percentages.

No certificate will be issued at the end of junior school. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the old 8-4-4 system’s primary-level certificates fuelled unhealthy competition and discouraged children who were too young to be defined as failures. He noted that transcripts are meant to motivate learners by showing how they are progressing in meeting expected competencies.

The final KJSEA outcome is a composite of continuous assessments conducted throughout junior school and the final Grade Nine examination. The ministry and Knec have emphasised that neither candidates nor schools will be ranked to prevent rivalry among learners and institutions. Performance in the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) at Grade Six will contribute 20 per cent to each subject’s final score, while school-based assessments from Grades Seven and Eight will account for another 20 per cent.

How learners will be classified

The remaining 60 per cent of the score comes from the written assessments administered in October and November. Learners will be placed into four broad performance bands that are further divided into two levels, creating an eight-point scoring matrix. Those who score between 75 and 100 per cent fall under Exceeding Expectations, with 90–100 per cent earning eight points and 75–89 per cent earning seven.

Candidates meeting expectations must score between 41 and 74 per cent. Those in the 58–74 per cent range will earn six points, while candidates scoring 41–57 per cent will earn five. The Approaching Expectations band covers candidates scoring between 21 and 40 per cent; those scoring 31–40 per cent receive four points, while 21–30 per cent earn three. Below Expectations is the lowest category, covering learners who score below 20 per cent. A score of 11–20 earns two points, while 10 and below earns one point.

After the results are released, the ministry will begin senior school placement using an automated system. Schools have been grouped according to classroom and laboratory capacity, staffing levels and availability of boarding facilities. Placement will take into account KJSEA performance, career pathway choices and competition for slots, particularly in national and extra-county schools.

The CBC curriculum offers three pathways at senior school: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; and Arts/Sports. These tracks allow learners to specialise according to their strengths, interests and long-term ambitions. According to Ogamba, this creates a more coherent transition into university and tertiary training compared to the 8-4-4 system. At the end of Grade 12, learners will earn the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE), the only official certificate at this level.