The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has announced that Kenya will take part in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the first time.
In a notice on August 4, KNEC said over 90 countries/economies across the world are participating in PISA, and Kenya will join them for the first time in September 2025.
PISA is an international assessment led by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Programme measures how 15 to 16-year-olds around the world apply their knowledge in Science, Reading, and Mathematics to solve real-life problems – not just how well they memorize facts.
KNEC said PISA is crucial as Kenya implements the Competency Based Education (CBE).
The Commission explained that PISA will allow Kenya to compare students with the international standards of education.
This will, in turn, influence the government’s decisions, curriculum and training of teachers for CBE.
“PISA offers a unique opportunity to compare our learners’ outcomes with international benchmarks. The data will help guide policy decisions, curriculum reforms, teacher training, and resource allocation,” KNEC said.
Who is Involved
KNEC said certain schools and students will be picked to participate in the PISA.
However, the Commission said the results of the assessment will influence policy decisions in all the schools.
“While a sample of schools and students will be selected for the assessment, the results will inform policy and practice across all schools in the country,” KNEC said.
“Everyone-school leaders, teachers, education officers, parents, and communities – has a stake in this process. Are you ready to play your part? Kenya is ready. Our learners are capable. Let’s support them!”
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KNEC Plans to PISA 2025
OECD has managed and coordinated PISA since its inception in 2000, when the first cycle was implemented.
Science will be the main domain in PISA 2025.
Students’ proficiency in an innovative domain and Learning in the Digital World (LDW) will also be assessed.
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In a past statement, KNEC said Kenya will adopt the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) as the main PISA 2025 assessment delivery mode.
KNEC is implementing PISA in Kenya on behalf of the Ministry of Education in line with the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (NESSP, 2018-2022).
PISA 2025 activities will be implemented under the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning (KPEEL) Program, which is funded by the World Bank, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and Lego Foundation.
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