- MoE has released a nationwide timeline for the 2026 Grade 9 selection exercise, setting August 24 to September 11 as the window for learners to choose senior school pathways and institutions.
- The ministry has scheduled a series of virtual sensitisation sessions throughout early August for quality assurance officers, school heads and education directors ahead of the main selection period.
- The ministry has urged parents, guardians and teachers to actively guide learners through the process as the second cohort under CBE prepares to transition into senior school in January 2027.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has released an elaborate nationwide timeline for the 2026 Grade 9 learner selection and placement exercise, setting August 24 as the date thousands of learners across the country will begin choosing their senior school pathways, subject combinations and preferred institutions.
The exercise, which will run for three weeks until September 11, marks a major milestone in the implementation of Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) curriculum as the second cohort of Grade 9 learners prepares to transition into senior school in January 2027.
In a circular dated July 28, 2026, signed by Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa, the ministry directed Regional Directors of Education, County Directors of Education and Sub-County Directors of Education to ensure all education officers and school heads participate in a series of virtual sensitisation sessions before the selection exercise begins.
According to the Ministry, the placement exercise is designed to ensure every learner is appropriately placed in a senior school based on their interests, career aspirations, academic strengths and available school capacities, rather than following a uniform curriculum as under the previous education system.
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Virtual preparations to begin ahead of selection window
Ahead of the main selection window, the Ministry has lined up a series of virtual sensitisation sessions targeting education officers, quality assurance personnel and school administrators, all of whom have been directed to attend without fail.
The rollout begins on August 3 with a one-day virtual sensitisation meeting for Sub-County Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (SCQASOs) and Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs), who will be taken through the operational procedures guiding the exercise.
Between August 4 and August 6, SCQASOs will declare the admission capacities of all senior schools in the Ministry’s digital placement system, information that will determine how many learners each institution can accommodate in Grade 10.
Senior school heads will undergo virtual sensitisation on August 4 and 5 before updating their institutions’ available pathways and subject combinations in the Ministry’s system between August 6 and August 8.
A separate one-day sensitisation for Regional Directors of Education, Regional Quality Assurance Officers, County Directors of Education and County Quality Assurance Officers has been scheduled for August 6 to harmonise implementation nationally.
Heads of junior schools will then undergo a four-day virtual orientation from August 7 to August 11, equipping them to guide learners and parents through the selection process.
The most critical phase of the exercise follows from August 24 to September 11, when all Grade 9 learners will select their preferred career pathways, subject combinations and senior schools through the Ministry’s online placement system.
The selection exercise comes as the second cohort of Grade 9 learners prepares to sit the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) before advancing to senior school. Under the CBE structure, learners will choose from specialised pathways including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science, each offering distinct subject combinations tailored to different career aspirations.
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Parents and Teachers to Play Advisory Role
The Ministry has also urged parents, guardians and teachers to actively support learners through the process by offering guidance based on each learner’s strengths, interests and long-term career goals.
School heads are additionally expected to organise guidance and counselling sessions to help learners understand the available pathways, subject combinations and opportunities within different categories of senior schools before making their final choices.
The selection exercise is expected to be one of the largest education operations undertaken by the Ministry this year, guiding thousands of learners across the country through one of the most significant academic decisions of their CBE journey.
By Jeff Kirui and Hillary Muhalya
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