The Ministry of Education has moved to clarify how learners, parents, and teachers should interpret the newly released Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) results, marking a defining moment in the transition of Grade 9 learners to senior secondary school.

The 2025 assessment forms the first major national test under the restructured Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, replacing the 8-4-4 model.

Officials from the Ministry of Education said the results will guide placement into Grade 10 in January 2026.

The Ministry, through its CS Ogamba, emphasised that, unlike the previous system where candidates awaited certificates, learners will receive detailed performance reports showing their strengths across subjects.

According to Ogamba, “the pioneer CBC cohorts have already completed the selection of senior schools, Grade 10 subject combinations, and academic tracks and pathways.”

Ogamba says understanding the grading system is key for families preparing for the next phase.

The Ministry maintains that learner performance “will be central to placement decisions for senior secondary schools in December.”

Understanding the 8-Level Grading Structure

The KJSEA adopts an eight-tier achievement model designed to group learners according to their competency levels.

Education CS Julius Ogamba said, unlike the phased-out 8-4-4 grading, the CBE system “focuses on four main grades, which are exceeding expectations (EE), meeting expectations (ME), approaching expectations (AE) and below expectations (BE).”

However, each grade has two achievement bands, creating a more precise evaluation scale.

The highest category, EE1, captures exceptional candidates scoring between 90–100%, earning eight points.

EE2 covers the 75–89% range.

Middle-tier performers fall under meeting expectations, with ME1 and ME2 covering 58–74% and 41–57%, respectively.

Approaching expectations includes AE1 at 31–40% and AE2 at 21–30%, while the lowest bands, BE1 and BE2, cover 11–20% and 1–10%.

This structure ensures “even learners who score very low are recognized for minimal effort, with no zero marks awarded,” Ogamba said.

Also Read: How to Check Your KJSEA Results Easily

How Final Scores Are Calculated

KJSEA results are only one part of a learner’s final placement score.

The Ministry explained that assessments from Grade 6, 7, and 8 form a significant portion of a candidate’s overall score.

The breakdown is as follows:

• KJSEA Grade 9 Assessment: 60%
• School-Based Assessments (SBA) Grades 7 and 8: 20%
• KPSEA Grade 6: 20%

To demonstrate the weighting, the Education Don noted that “a student scoring 40 in mathematics in KJSEA, 15 in SBA, and 10 in KPSEA would achieve a final score of 65%, corresponding to ME1.”

The CS added that the new reporting style moves beyond basic marks.

“It is more than a results slip. It’s a report showing a candidate’s strengths and what a learner can do to improve,” he said.

Also Read: Education Ministry Announces KJSEA 2025 Results: How to Check

Placement Into Senior Schools

Over 1.13 million Grade 9 learners sat the 2025 KJSEA.

Placement into Grade 10 begins immediately and will depend on performance and school selections submitted earlier in the year.

Learners will join senior schools from January 12, 2026.

Schools offering senior secondary are classified as:

• C1: National
• C2: Extra-County
• C3: County
• C4: Sub-County

Placement is strictly based on merit, with higher scores improving chances of joining national or extra-county institutions.

The Ogamba further revealed that senior secondary pathways include STEM Centres, Humanities and Arts Schools, and Creative Arts and Sports Schools.

While releasing the results, CS Ogamba announced that 59.09% of candidates showed potential for STEM, 46.52% for Social Sciences, and 48.73% for Arts and Sports.

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Students during a past KCSE exam. PHOTO/UGC.