The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced that the administration of the 2026 Grade 10 School-Based Assessments (SBAs) will commence shortly after the newly admitted learners have settled into their schools.
In an update on January 9, 2026, KNEC CEO David Njengere said the 2026 Grade 10 School-Based Assessments will comprise a blend of projects, practical work, and written tests.
“KNEC will commence administration of the 2026 Grade 10 School-Based Assessments (SBAs), which will be a blend of projects, practicals, and written tests,” said Njengere.
For students taking the Arts and Sports Science pathway, KNEC said that Fine Arts coursework will begin immediately upon the start of learning.
To support this transition, KNEC has assured that it is already actively engaging Fine Art teachers nationwide to ensure they are adequately prepared to deliver and assess the coursework as required.
“It is important to note that for Grade 10 learners following the Arts and Sports Science pathway, their Fine Arts coursework will begin as they start learning in January 2026. KNEC is already in active engagement with Fine Art teachers countrywide,” said Njengere.
The move signals increased stress on practical and creative subjects under the CBC framework, especially for learners following specialized pathways.
KNEC has emphasized that all scores must be uploaded to the KNEC database to avoid disadvantaging learners at the end of the cycle.
Details of the Assessment for Grade 10 Learners
Grade 10 SBAs are structured to give learners an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities beyond written exams.
Also Read: KNEC Announces Free CBC Training Courses for All Senior School Teachers
The assessments will be a combination of:
Projects: These are tasks designed to assess learners’ understanding and application of knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Practicals: They are Hands-on activities, mostly in science and technical subjects, to test and evaluate skill competency.
Written Tests: They are short and long-form tests to assess learners’ understanding, problem-solving, and theoretical knowledge.
Arts and Sports Science Pathway
Also Read: Kenya’s First Grade 10 Admission Placement: Hits and Misses Amid Alleged AI Use
Schools Directed to Upload All Scores to KNEC Database
The council warned that failure to upload scores could disadvantage learners at the end of the assessment cycle.
The directive applies not only to Grade 10 but also to Primary and Junior School assessments, reinforcing KNEC’s push for proper data management and accountability.
“This also applies to the administration and uploading of SBA scores for Primary and Junior School levels,” added the KNEC CEO.
Speaking during the release of the 2025 KCSE results, CEO Njegere announced that all other projects and practicals will be administered between May and July 2026, while the written test will be administered in October 2026.
According to KNEC, the cumulative data gathered from the formative assessments in Grades 10, 11, and 12 will form part of the reporting at the end of Senior School, as learners are issued their Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) results.
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School-Based Assessment (SBA) should be used to evaluate learners’ knowledge and understanding as preparation for their final assessments and examinations. However, SBA should not contribute to the final reporting at the end of junior or senior school because it is marked by teachers at school level, and in some cases the assessments was not and may not be conducted or graded objectively. Teachers may intentionally or unintentionally award learners higher or lower marks. For this reason, KNEC should abolish the use of School-Based Assessment (SBA) in final reporting and rely solely on standardized external examinations to ensure fairness, consistency, and credibility in the assessment process.
I’m some how a depressed parent, until now I don’t know where my daughter will go for her grade 10, my request is not yet approved….. I don’t know what to do