As I write this piece, I am en route to Nanyuki, where I will be engaged in a week-long fine-tuning session for KJSEA examination candidates in 20 junior secondary schools. This is my personal reflection as I traverse the counties of Kiambu, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru, Laikipia, and Nyahururu. The journey is both literal and symbolic. Literal because I am physically moving from one county to another to interact with learners and teachers. Symbolic because the transition from KCPE to KJSEA represents a journey in itself – one that requires a complete shift in mindset, strategy and preparation.
For far too long, teachers, parents and learners have been accustomed to the KCPE way of doing things, a system rooted mainly in rote learning, examination drilling, and last-minute cramming. KJSEA is a complete departure, an entirely new ball game. One cannot, therefore, prepare for the KJSEA assessment with the KCPE exam mindset. The two exams are like heaven and earth, incomparable in nature and structure, and any attempt to approach the new assessment using the old lenses will lead to painful disappointments. I want you to save this post. We shall revisit it in January.
If you have prepared your KJSEA candidates using the printer prediction exams or the online crap called ‘KNEC Confidentials,’ you will cry premium tears. The KJSEA assessment is very different.
John C. Maxwell once asserted that a good team can sometimes lose a game, but a bad team can never win any game. This assertion resonates deeply with the way schools ought to approach preparation for KJSEA. To illustrate this, let us borrow from the Morocco CHAN analogy. Morocco, which eventually lifted the CHAN trophy it had just concluded, lost one match to Kenya. The loss did not erase their strengths or diminish their capacity; they remained a strong and disciplined team that understood the process of building towards their ultimate goal. On the other hand, Kenya, a weaker team in terms of strategy and cohesion, lost matches even against opponents who were not as strong as Morocco. Kenya should not have lost the Madagascar penalty shootout. Still, it did so due to a lack of preparedness, poor mentality, and fragile systems that always betray a team when it matters most.
This analogy fits perfectly into KJSEA preparedness. Some good schools, with excellent teachers and effective coverage of the curriculum designs, may still lose in the final analysis. Why? Because success in KJSEA goes beyond simply covering the content. It is not enough to say, “We have taught everything required.” It is about the nitty-gritty —the seemingly insignificant aspects of preparedness that many schools often dismiss. In KJSEA, the learner is not only tested on memory but on skills, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and the ability to apply knowledge in real-life contexts. Missing out on this small but crucial shift is like a football team that trains hard but forgets to practice penalties, corner kicks or mental resilience under pressure. The difference between losing and winning in examinations lies not in the broad strokes but in the fine-tuning of details.
It is one thing to teach effectively and quite another to prepare candidates for the final KJSEA. Teaching is the coverage of curriculum designs – delivering content, explaining concepts, assigning tasks and ensuring syllabus completion. Preparation, on the other hand, is moulding learners to face the exact form and rigour of assessment. It exposes them to simulations, practicals, cross-disciplinary challenges, and tasks that require thinking outside the box. Many schools assume that once teaching is done, preparation is automatic. That assumption is dangerous. The best schools will go beyond classroom instruction and ask: Are our learners able to handle practical investigations? Do they know how to reason under time constraints? Are they mentally tough enough to remain calm during an exam situation? Do they understand how to decode unfamiliar scenarios? These questions are the small margins that separate Morocco from Kenya, winners from losers and schools that thrive in KJSEA from those that falter.
If Morocco and Kenya were to exchange coaches, the story would be different. Kenya would win and Morocco would lose. This is not because the players themselves would have changed overnight, but because strategy, mentality and leadership make all the difference. In education, the coach is the teacher. A brilliant teacher with the right vision, commitment and adaptability can turn an average group of learners into stars, just as a poor teacher can sink even the brightest learners into mediocrity. The KJSEA requires teachers to assume the role of transformative coaches who train learners not only in knowledge but in the art of thinking, creating and problem-solving. A shift in coaching is equivalent to a shift in results.
As I visit different schools across counties, I notice patterns. Some schools are heavily invested in the old KCPE drill-and-practice culture. Their learners are drilled with endless past papers, repetitive tests, and pressure-filled mock exams. While these methods may have worked under KCPE, they are no longer sufficient. KJSEA demands more than answering direct questions. It tests learners in integrative science, agriculture, and nutrition, as well as project-based tasks, communication, creativity, and innovation. Schools that fail to appreciate this reality may be surprised when their teaching efforts do not yield the expected results. On the other hand, I have encountered schools that are quietly revolutionising their preparation. They expose learners to practical science labs, group projects, debates, problem-solving games and even fieldwork. These learners may not appear to be “cramming machines,” but when faced with KJSEA assessments, they shine because they have developed resilience, adaptability and critical thinking muscles.
READ ALSO:
Frustrated TSC Sub County Directors cry out to KNEC over unpaid exam dues
The lesson is simple: preparation is more important than coverage. Morocco lost a game but was prepared enough to win the trophy. Kenya, despite moments of brilliance, lacked the consistency and strategy to carry the day. Likewise, schools that pay attention to the nitty-gritty – whether it is learner confidence, proper time management, exposure to practical applications, or even simple exam etiquette – will eventually succeed. Schools that remain stuck in coverage alone may discover, too late, that they have trained but not prepared.
Parents also have a role in this shift. Many still view exams through the KCPE lens, expecting memorisation and last-minute revisions to deliver results. They press teachers and learners to focus solely on grades, forgetting that KJSEA is competency-based and measures more than mere regurgitation. Parents must embrace a broader perspective and support schools in providing materials, time and emotional support for practical-based learning. The success of KJSEA candidates will be a collective effort involving teachers, learners, parents and the wider community.
In conclusion, as we stand at this historic transition point from KCPE to KJSEA, the biggest danger is to approach the new with the mindset of the old. Schools that succeed will be those that recognise the importance of small details, the ones that others overlook. It is about coaching learners to face real-life, integrated challenges rather than cramming facts. It is about focusing on preparation as much as it is about teaching. It is about shifting from being like Kenya, who lose even against weaker teams, to being like Morocco, which may stumble but eventually rises to the top because its preparation is thorough. Just as in football, the quality of the coach determines the outcome; similarly, in KJSEA, the quality of teaching and preparation will determine success. The time to abandon the KCPE mindset is now. The time to embrace the spirit and structure of KJSEA is today. Those who make the shift will win; those who refuse will lose, not because they lacked effort but because they lacked the right kind of preparation.
By Ashford Kimani
Ashford teaches English and Literature in Gatundu North Sub-county and serves as Dean of Studies.
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
