Grade 10 learners to register for KNEC assessments by end of this month
Education
By
Mike Kihaki
| Jul 14, 2026
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has opened the registration of Grade 10 learners for the first round of senior school Competency-Based Assessments (CBA).
KNEC says that all eligible schools are required to complete the exercise by July 30, 2026.
The registration marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, as the current Grade 10 learners are the first cohort to begin senior school under the new curriculum. It also lays the foundation for continuous assessment, which will contribute to learners' final Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) results at the end of Grade 12.
In a notice to principals, KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere directed all institutions that were successfully registered as senior school assessment centres to enrol their Grade 10 learners through the school-Based Assessment (SBA) portal.
"Registered centres have been enabled to register Grade 10 learners on the portal for School-Based Assessment (SBA)," Dr Njengere said.
Schools have been instructed to log into the CBA portal using the new universal centre code that was generated during the registration of assessment centres. The same code will serve as both the username and password for logging into the system.
The July 30 deadline gives schools sufficient time to ensure every eligible Grade 10 learner is captured in the national assessment database. Registration is a critical step because only learners entered into the system will be eligible to participate in the school-based assessments that form part of the new evaluation framework.
Unlike the previous 8-4-4 education system, where learners mainly depended on one national examination -the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of secondary school, the CBE system measures learners' progress over time throughout their senior school education.
The Grade 10 school-based assessments will consist of projects, practical assignments and written tests conducted within schools under the supervision of teachers. According to KNEC, projects and practical assessments will be undertaken between May and September, while written assessments will be administered during the third term and completed by October.
Schools will also be required to upload learners' scores promptly on the KNEC system and keep evidence of completed learner work for verification and quality assurance purposes.
The assessments will eventually contribute to the final KCBE results learners will receive after completing Grade 12.
Under the new assessment structure, the Grade 10 school-based assessments will contribute 15 per cent of a learner's final KCBE score. Grade 11 school-based assessments will contribute another 15 per cent, bringing continuous assessment to 30 per cent.
The remaining 70 per cent of the final KCBE grade will come from the national summative examination that learners will sit at the end of Grade 12.
This means that a learner's final certificate will no longer depend solely on one national examination. Instead, performance throughout the three years of senior school will play a significant role in determining the final grade.
The continuous assessment approach is one of the key reforms introduced under the CBE system. It is designed to evaluate learners' understanding, practical skills, creativity, critical thinking and ability to apply knowledge in real-life situations rather than relying entirely on written examinations.
The Grade 10 assessments will also prepare the country for the piloting of the senior school summative assessment expected in 2027 when the pioneer cohort advances to Grade 11.
Dr Njengere added that school-based assessments are an integral part of the Competency-Based Education system and should be taken as seriously as national examinations.
"School-Based Assessment is a mandatory component of the Competency-Based Curriculum because it enables learners to demonstrate competencies progressively as they advance through school," Njengere has said.
He has also emphasised that continuous assessment provides a more complete picture of a learner's abilities than relying on a single examination.
"The final certification under the Competency-Based Education system is based on cumulative learner achievement. Every assessment conducted during the learning process contributes to the learner's final grade," Njengere has said.
According to the KNEC boss, teachers play a central role in ensuring the credibility of the assessments by administering projects, marking learner work objectively and submitting accurate scores within the timelines set by the council.
Dr Njengere has urged schools to comply with KNEC guidelines and ensure learner records are accurate during registration because the information captured will be used throughout the assessment cycle.
Education stakeholders have been closely monitoring the rollout of senior schools under the CBE system since the pioneer learners joined Grade 10 this year.
Unlike the previous 8-4-4 system, when the KCSE examination determined most of a learner's final result, the new KCBE combines classroom performance with the final national examination.
Supporters of the new system say continuous assessment rewards consistency, practical skills and talent, while reducing pressure associated with one final examination. Learners who perform well in projects, practical work and classroom assessments have an opportunity to improve their overall grades before sitting the Grade 12 national examination.
For parents, the registration exercise marks the beginning of a new way of assessing learners. It means that attendance, participation in school activities, completion of projects and performance in school-based assessments will all play an important role in determining a learner's final KCBE result.
KNEC has assured schools that additional guidelines on the management of the assessments will be issued as preparations continue for the full implementation of the Competency-Based Education assessment framework.