The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced major changes that are set to take effect in 2025, targeting national examinations and curriculum assessment across the basic and tertiary education sectors.
The reforms affect millions of learners, teachers, and institutions. Below are the key highlights of the new directives
New answer format for KPSEA and KJSEA
Starting with the October 2025 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), KNEC has introduced a new Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer format. Pupils will no longer be required to draw lines to match answers. Instead, they will shade circles on the OMR sheet to indicate their responses.
ALSO READ:
Bunyore TTC gets Ksh6 million boost from NGCDF to build dormitories
In a circular issued on June 24, KNEC directed all teachers and schools to familiarize themselves and their candidates with the new format. Sample OMR sheets, cover pages, and instructional materials are already available on the CBA portal for schools to download. The move aims to improve the accuracy of marking and eliminate human errors common with the previous format.
Strict deadlines for CBC performance task uploads
KNEC has also tightened timelines for uploading Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) project scores on the online platform. Schools are now required to submit learner assessments within the following deadlines:
July 31, 2025: For Grade 3, Grade 7, Grade 8, and all stage based learners.
ALSO READ:
KAPU decries burden of unpaid debts, calls for increased allocation of research fund
August 30, 2025: For Grade 9 (KJSEA candidates).
Late submission for Grade 9 performance tasks will attract a penalty of Ksh 500 per learner. According to KNEC, these strict timelines will help in streamlining national moderation, ensuring transparency, and preventing backdating of assessments. All schools are encouraged to plan internal deadlines ahead of the official cut-off dates to avoid last-minute complications and fines.
By Benedict Aoya
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
>>> Click here to stay ahead with the latest national news.
