Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogemba officiates the opening of KJSEA and KPSEA examination papers at the Bureti Deputy County Commissioner’s office in Kericho.
By Njoroge David
Kenya’s 2025 national examination season began on Monday, October 27, with more than 3.4 million learners sitting various tests under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and the 8-4-4 education systems.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogemba officiated the opening of examination papers for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) and Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessments (KPLEA) at the Bureti Deputy County Commissioner’s office in Kericho.
According to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), 3,428,729 learners have been registered to take part in this year’s national assessments and examinations.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok and KNEC Chief Executive David Njeng’eri led the official opening of examination containers at Olympic Primary School in Kibra, Nairobi at 6:45 a.m., marking the start of both the Grade 6 and Grade 9 assessments.
The KNEC Chairperson, Professor Julius Nyabundi, told journalists on Sunday at the KNEC exams collection point in Kisumu Central Sub-County that all arrangements were in place to ensure a smooth process across the country.
According to the Ministry of Education, 1,130,669 learners are taking the inaugural KJSEA while 1,298,089 are sitting for the KPSEA.
This marks the first time the KJSEA is being administered to Grade 9 learners completing the junior secondary level under the CBC.
The KJSEA replaces the former Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) framework which ended in 2023. Under the new structure, the KPSEA serves as the assessment for learners completing primary school at Grade 6.
Across the country, examination materials were distributed early Monday from sub-county offices under supervision from education officials and local administrators. Heads of institutions in Nyamira collected examination papers for the five national tests on Monday morning.
According to the County Commissioner, 35,000 KPSEA and KJSEA candidates are sitting the primary assessment tests in the county.
In Kisumu Central, Deputy County Commissioner Lang’at Bosek oversaw the dispatch of assessment papers while headteachers in Bondo and Kakamega collected materials for their respective schools.
The Ministry said all necessary measures had been put in place to ensure smooth administration of the national assessments.
In 2024, 1,314,089 learners sat for the KPSEA while the KJSEA was not administered as the Grade 9 class undertook a pilot version of the exam.
The 2025 examination cycle marks a milestone in Kenya’s education reforms, uniting learners under both the CBC and the final 8-4-4 cohorts in a transition that defines the country’s new learning pathway.
