The Ministry of Education has banned schools from purchasing commercial exams.
In a circular dated June 30, 2026, the ministry warned that the practice amounts to imposing illegal levies on learners and undermines classroom learning.
At the same time, it reminded heads of institutions that the ban on commercial examinations remains in force across pre-primary, primary and junior schools.
Ministry of Education Orders Schools to Stop Purchasing Commercial Exams
The circular, signed by Kilifi County Director of Education Nicholas Oyucho, refers to an earlier Ministry of Education directive and instructs school heads to fully comply with the ban.
“This is to remind all Heads of Institutions (HOIs) that the prohibition on commercial exams through Ref. MOE.HQS/3/6/116(53) still stands,” the circular reads.
“All levels, Pre-Primary, Primary and Junior schools are strictly banned from purchasing external commercial exams as this is imposing illegal levies on learners that impacts negatively on their day-to-day learning instruction.”
Instead, the ministry instructed schools to use Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA), with teachers expected to assess learners continuously during normal classroom instruction.
According to the directive, CBA should be used for continuous, diagnostic and formative assessment, allowing teachers to monitor learners’ progress and identify areas for improvement without relying on externally prepared examinations.
Heads of institutions have also been directed to ensure the ministry’s guidance is implemented in their schools.
“School Heads are expected to embrace the Classroom Based Assessment (CBA) for continuous, diagnostic and formative assessment process directly carried out by teachers on daily instruction,” the circular states.
“In view of this, Heads of Institutions (HOIs) are advised to instil this directive to the latter in their institutions.”
How Learners Are Assessed Under CBE
Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) assessment framework, learners’ final results are derived from a combination of school-based assessments conducted over several years and the national summative assessment.
For Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) candidates, school-based assessment scores accumulated in Grades 4, 5 and 6 account for 60 per cent of the final score, while the national assessment contributes the remaining 40 per cent.
For Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) candidates, the assessment spans different stages of learning.
A learner’s KPSEA performance accounts for 20 per cent of the final score, school-based assessment scores from Grades 7 and 8 contribute another 20 per cent, while the Grade 9 national summative assessment contributes the remaining 60 per cent.
Also Read: Why Commercial Exams Should be Banned
Ban on Joint Exams and Mock
This comes as the Ministry continues to enforce a long-standing policy against commercial and joint examinations in schools.
In a circular dated July 6, 2023, then Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Belio Kipsang directed all County and Sub-County Directors of Education to ensure the ban on mock and joint inter-school examinations was fully enforced within their jurisdictions.
Kipsang said the directive followed recommendations by the Parliamentary Committee on Education, chaired by David Koech, and the Special Investigation Team on school unrest, chaired by Claire Omollo, both of which called for the abolition of joint inter-school examinations.
“As you are aware, the Parliamentary Committee on Education, chaired by Hon. David Koech, and the Special Investigation Team chaired by Claire Omollo on school unrest both recommended the ban on all joint Inter-School Examinations. The Ministry thereafter issued circulars to that effect,” Kipsang said in the circular.
He further directed education officials to take corrective measures against schools that continued to organize the examinations.
“These circulars are still in force and all schools are advised to desist from holding any inter-school examinations as this will interfere with the school calendar. The purpose of this circular is to ask you to bring this to the attention of all schools within your jurisdiction and take corrective measures to stop any occurrence,” he added.
Also Read: KNEC Releases Grade 10 Assessment Schedule and Instructions
In August 2008, the Ministry of Education issued interim guidelines removing centralized mock examinations, including the then-popular Provincial and District mock examinations, from the school academic calendar with immediate effect.
However, the ministry allowed schools to conduct joint Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) through bilateral or multilateral arrangements, provided they were not mock examinations and that learners were not charged any additional fees.
The 2008 guidelines also prohibited schools from buying and using commercial examinations for Continuous Assessment Tests, with schools instead encouraged to rely on internally developed assessments prepared, administered and marked by classroom teachers.
The ministry further directed that the accumulated results of all Continuous Assessment Tests should be included in learners’ end-of-term results.
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