The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has issued a sharp warning to schools and individuals circulating misleading analyses of the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results.
In a statement released following the publication of the results, KNEC clarified that the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) does not provide aggregate marks, overall totals, or school mean scores—contrary to what some schools have been sharing publicly.
According to KNEC, the KJSEA assessment framework is fundamentally different from the former 8-4-4 examination system, which heavily relied on ranking learners and schools using cumulative scores.
“Unlike the former system, KJSEA does not provide an aggregate score. Why? Because CBC is about nurturing individual potential, not ranking learners,” KNEC stated.
Under CBC, each subject is assessed independently, and learner achievement is reported using clearly defined performance levels rather than numerical totals. KNEC emphasized that excellence in one learning area should stand on its own and should not be diminished by weaker performance in another subject.
“There is, therefore, no school mean score,” the council reiterated, warning that any published rankings or averages attributed to KJSEA results are inaccurate and misleading.
KNEC cautioned that such misrepresentation undermines the core principles of the CBC, which focuses on competency development rather than competition.
The clarification follows the official release of the 2025 KJSEA and Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) results by the Ministry of Education on Thursday.
KNEC explained that learners were assessed across nine learning areas, with results reported on a scale of 1 to 8. A score of 8 represents the highest level—Exceeding Expectations—while a score of 1 represents Below Expectations.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that all 1,130,459 candidates who sat the assessment will transition to Senior School in 2026. Placement will be based on learners’ performance and pathway preferences, with three available tracks: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
KNEC urged parents and schools to rely only on official communication from the council and the Ministry of Education when interpreting KJSEA results.
