The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will roll out a new online portal on January 26, 2026, to help senior schools manage and verify data for Grade 10 learners, Chief Executive Officer David Njeng’ere has announced.
Developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the platform will enable school heads to confirm learner details, including chosen pathways, once students have settled into senior school, forming the backbone of assessment and reporting for the first Grade 10 cohort.
“This system will ensure all learner information is accurate and updated before the start of assessments,” Njeng’ere said on Friday, adding that the portal will serve as the foundation for the 2026 Grade 10 School‑Based Assessments (SBAs).
The SBAs will blend projects, practical exercises, and written tests, aligning classroom work with the Competency‑Based Education (CBE) framework and ensuring continuous, evidence‑based evaluation across senior school.
Learners pursuing the Arts and Sports Science pathways will begin Fine Arts coursework in January, with KNEC already coordinating with Fine Arts teachers nationwide to standardise delivery and scoring.
Other projects and practicals will run between May and July, while written tests are scheduled for October 2026, timelines designed to give schools adequate preparation windows and learners consistent progression through formative tasks.
Njeng’ere emphasised that cumulative scores from Grades 10, 11, and 12 will contribute to final reporting, culminating in the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) results. He urged strict adherence to SBA administration and timely data uploads.
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“I urge teachers, learners, parents, and all relevant players to ensure that all learners sit their School Based Assessments as expected and that all the scores are uploaded onto the KNEC database, to avoid disadvantaging learners at the end of the cycle,” he said.
The directive applies equally to primary and junior school SBAs, reinforcing continuity across the basic education cycle.
Looking ahead, KNEC plans to pilot the Senior School summative assessment in 2027, when the current Grade 10 cohort advances to Grade 11. Njeng’ere said the initiative is part of KNEC’s broader effort to institutionalise e‑assessment and strengthen digital literacy, positioning Kenya’s education system for the demands of a 21st‑century digital economy. The portal, he noted, is both a data integrity tool and a catalyst for modernising assessment practices at scale.
Additionally, Njeng’ere confirmed that schools which presented learners for KPSEA and KILEA in 2025 will be able to access performance reports from Monday, January 12, 2026.
Access details will be communicated through a circular, with KNEC urging institutions to review outcomes promptly and integrate feedback into teaching plans for the new term.
By Masaki Enock
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