The first group of students under Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will join senior secondary school in January 2026, marking a key milestone in the nation’s education system. A total of 12 schools will be selected for the placement of Grade 10 learners transitioning from junior school.
The current Grade 9 students will choose their senior schools based on their preferred career pathways, allowing them to focus on a streamlined set of subjects aligned with their future higher education goals. This selection process will follow their performance in the Kenya Junior Secondary School Assessment (KJSEA), scheduled to take place from October 27 to November 5, 2025.
This transition plan is based on draft guidelines developed by the Ministry of Education and will be officially launched in Machakos town by Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Friday. The launch is expected to kick off a national dialogue on the transition process, running from March 9 to 15, 2025.
Senior school placements will be guided by the students’ career aspirations, with three distinct pathways offered: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Arts and Sports Science; and Social Sciences. The Ministry of Education aims to allocate 60% of learners to the STEM pathway, 15% to Arts and Sports Science, and 25% to the Social Sciences pathway.
According to the CBC framework, students’ placement will be determined through a combination of their performance in the KJSEA, contributing 60% of the overall evaluation, along with 20% from the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and 20% from school-based assessments conducted in Grades 7 and 8.
In senior school, learners from Grades 10 to 12 will study a total of seven subjects. Four of these—English, Kiswahili or Kenya Sign Language, Community Service Learning, and Physical Education—are core subjects. The remaining three subjects will be chosen from their selected career pathway and specialization tracks.
As Kenya’s CBC system continues to unfold, the upcoming transition marks a crucial step in shaping the country’s future workforce, empowering students to tailor their education to their individual strengths and career ambitions.
