A total of 1,380,463 Grade 6 learners are sitting their final Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) papers on Wednesday, marking the end of their primary school assessments ahead of their transition to Junior school next year.
They are part of a record 2,586,491 candidates sitting KPSEA and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Grade 9 learners taking KJSEA will conclude their assessments on Friday, October 30.
KPSEA candidates will sit their final paper, Creative Arts and Social Studies, from 8.30am to 10.10am, while those using Braille will finish at 10.40am.
KJSEA candidates, meanwhile, will sit two papers on Wednesday, starting with Mathematics at 8.30am, followed by Agriculture at 11.30am.
With KPSEA coming to an end, the focus shifts to the next stage of learning and how the results will be used to support learners' transition through the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.
Every Grade 6 learner is guaranteed progression to Junior school, as no candidate will be required to repeat the grade based on KPSEA results.
Unlike other major national assessments and examinations, KPSEA candidates will not receive certificates.
Instead, they will get a holistic Transition Report detailing their skills and competencies to guide their continued learning.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will assess learners using four qualitative performance bands rather than conventional marks: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Approaching Expectations and Below Expectations.
Although KPSEA results will not determine placement in Junior school, they will contribute 20 per cent of the total score used to determine learners' placement into Senior school pathways at the end of Grade 9.
The pathways are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science.
Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa has expressed satisfaction with the management of the assessments as they enter the final stages, saying no serious challenges have been reported.
“We have not come across any serious challenges, just the normal challenges that are addressed whenever they come. Therefore, I have all the confidence that these assessments will go on very well,” he said.
Ololtuaa spoke on Tuesday as he oversaw the opening of a security container and the distribution of assessment materials at the Lang’ata Deputy County Commissioner’s office on the second day of the examinations.
He also warned against examination malpractice, saying those found culpable would face legal action.
“For any malpractice, the law is very clear. For anybody found, we normally take the required legal measures of arresting and prosecuting those who attempt,” he said.
