The Kenya National Examinations Council has released final guidelines for the upcoming Kenya Primary School Education Assessment and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment, set to begin on Monday amid ongoing KCSE exams. These assessments will run concurrently with the secondary school examinations, with specific rules on handling papers and security measures in place. Education officials have assured a smooth process following recent uncertainties.
On Sunday, October 26, 2025, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) issued a final set of guidelines ahead of the 2025 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), which are scheduled to start on Monday, October 27.
The KPSEA, targeting Grade 6 learners as part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), will run from October 27 to October 30 over four days. Meanwhile, the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) for learners with special needs at the intermediate level is set for October 27 to October 31. The KJSEA and Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will span nine days, from October 27 to November 6, to measure learner progress under the CBC and guide transitions to higher grades.
These assessments will occur concurrently with the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), currently in its second week. KNEC specified that containers holding KPSEA and KJSEA papers must be opened at 6 a.m., while KCSE containers open at 7 a.m. nationwide. Mobile phones of examination center personnel are required to be locked away, with the key held by the supervisor. Center managers must maintain an approved list of authorized persons, who need to present national identification cards for verification.
KNEC warned supervisors against opening examination packets prematurely, which could lead to mix-ups. This comes after uncertainties over the exams due to disputes between the government and schools regarding the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF). Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba assured the public of full logistical and administrative preparedness for a smooth examination process.