Kenyan learners especially the high schoolers are used to wet science practicals where the experiments are cunducted in a science lab.
For the first time in Kenya’s examination history, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will subject Grade 9 learners to a dry science practical in KJSEA later this year. Interesting times.
A dry practical is a relatively new concept in science assessment, particularly in national examinations, that seeks to evaluate learners’ practical skills and scientific thinking without necessarily requiring a fully equipped laboratory. In the context of the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is set to administer for the first time an integrated science practical under Paper 2.
This practical combines Chemistry, Biology and Physics. It has been designed in a manner that learners can attempt it without needing laboratory apparatus, chemical reagents, living specimens, or complex scientific equipment.
Instead of conducting physical experiments, learners are presented with well-structured scenarios, data, diagrams, charts, photographs or descriptions of experiments, and they are required to interpret, analyse, calculate, deduce or predict outcomes just as they would if they had conducted the experiments themselves.
The idea behind a dry practical is that while practical skills are fundamental in science learning, not every school has the infrastructure or resources to conduct wet laboratory experiments under exam conditions. Many schools across Kenya, especially in rural and marginalised areas, lack adequate science laboratories and sufficient equipment for all learners.
If a traditional wet practical were to be administered nationally, it would put thousands of learners at a disadvantage due to unequal access to facilities. The dry practical therefore levels the playing field, ensuring all candidates can demonstrate their understanding of scientific concepts, processes and applications through observation, reasoning and problem-solving, rather than being hindered by a lack of materials.
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In a dry practical, a learner may, for example, be given a diagram of an experimental set-up, such as a beaker of water being heated over a flame with a thermometer inserted. Instead of physically measuring the temperature change, the learner might be provided with a table of results and asked to draw a graph, identify anomalies, calculate averages or explain why the temperature plateaued at a certain point.
In Biology, they may be given photographs of plants at different growth stages and asked to identify features, predict conditions necessary for growth or explain the process of germination.
In Physics, they might be shown a sketch of a circuit and asked to calculate resistance, predict what happens when one bulb is turned off, or explain the energy transformations taking place. The focus is not on handling the actual materials but on demonstrating the cognitive and interpretive skills that scientists employ when handling experimental data.
This form of assessment is not entirely new in global education systems. Many countries with large candidate populations and resource disparities have long adopted dry practicals or alternative-to-practical examinations.
For example, the Cambridge International system has an “Alternative to Practical” paper in IGCSE science subjects where candidates interpret experimental results and design procedures on paper. By adopting a similar model, KNEC is positioning Kenya’s junior secondary learners in line with global assessment trends while addressing the realities of resource distribution in schools.
The strength of a dry practical lies in its inclusivity and fairness. It acknowledges that science is not only about manipulating test tubes or dissecting specimens but also about the ability to think scientifically. Learners are tested on observation, logical reasoning, application of knowledge, interpretation of results, making inferences, drawing accurate conclusions and even designing experiments hypothetically. This ensures that the core purpose of practicals – developing and testing scientific process skills – is not lost, even without a laboratory. It also means that learners are assessed more on their understanding and less on their ability to follow procedural steps, which in many cases may be influenced by the availability of equipment rather than mastery of content.
However, dry practicals are not without criticism. Some educationists argue that science cannot be separated from hands-on experience. True science learning involves seeing, touching, measuring, and manipulating objects in real time. A student who only ever does dry practicals may develop strong theoretical knowledge but weak practical handling skills. For instance, they may know how to interpret a titration curve but never have experienced the delicate process of turning a burette tap slowly to achieve the endpoint. Similarly, they may know the theory of dissecting a flower but never actually handle one under a hand lens. Critics fear that relying too much on dry practicals could reduce the experiential aspect of science education that inspires curiosity and innovation.
Nonetheless, KNEC’s decision to adopt a dry practical for the inaugural KJSEA Integrated Science paper seems a strategic compromise. The assessment is not meant to replace real, practical learning in schools, but to provide a fair national examination model that accommodates all learners regardless of their schools’ infrastructural capacities. Teachers are still encouraged to expose learners to hands-on experiments during classroom instruction. The examination acknowledges that during a national assessment, where equity is paramount, dry practicals offer a viable alternative.
Another key benefit of dry practicals is that they assess a broader range of higher-order skills than some traditional practicals. Whereas wet practicals may sometimes test a narrow range of skills, such as following procedure or recording readings, dry practicals can be designed to test analytical thinking, evaluation of experimental design, error identification, and even creativity in suggesting improvements. A learner may be asked to critique an experiment’s design, suggest safety measures or predict results under modified conditions. This aligns well with the competency-based curriculum (CBC) philosophy, which emphasises not only knowledge acquisition but also skills, values and critical thinking.
Moreover, the integrated nature of the KJSEA science paper makes the dry practical even more meaningful. By combining Chemistry, Biology and Physics, learners will be encouraged to see the interconnectedness of scientific disciplines rather than treating them as isolated subjects. A single scenario could involve chemical reactions observed in a biological context and measured using physical principles, reflecting the real-world integration of scientific knowledge.
In the long run, Kenya may move towards a hybrid model where learners are exposed to both wet and dry practicals. In continuous assessment tests within schools, wet practicals may dominate since they provide real-world experience.
At the national level, dry practicals could ensure fairness and inclusivity. This would strike a balance between resource limitations and the need to maintain the integrity of practical science learning.
The debut of the dry practical in the KJSEA Integrated Science paper is therefore both a historic and pragmatic moment in Kenya’s education journey. It signals a recognition of the disparities in resources among schools while maintaining a commitment to assessing learners’ scientific competence.
As learners sit for this paper, they will be demonstrating not how well-equipped their schools are, but how well they have internalised scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking. It is a bold step that blends equity with academic rigour, ensuring that science education in Kenya remains both fair and forward-looking.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.
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