End of KCPE Era: KPSEA Shifts Focus from Ranking to Progress Monitoring
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has released the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) scores for the 1.2 million learners transitioning from primary to junior secondary school under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
David Njengere, the chief executive of KNEC, announced the availability of the assessment results, urging parents and schools to utilize the feedback to address identified learning gaps. Schools can access the results through the KNEC portal.
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The KPSEA, which replaced the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) under the 8-4-4 education system, has been administered for the second time.
No More Placement Anxiety
Unlike the KCPE, the KPSEA assessment does not determine the students’ placement in junior secondary school; instead, learners are required to join junior school in the same institutions where they attended primary school.
This shift marks the end of ranking learners and the intense competition to secure spots in prestigious secondary schools. During the release of the 2023 KCPE results, Njengere emphasized that the KPSEA assessment provides parents with an opportunity to monitor their children’s progress over time.
In line with recommendations from the presidential working party on education reforms, the KPSEA is designed to monitor learners’ progress and offer feedback to stakeholders rather than being solely for placement purposes.
Njengere encouraged parents and schools to use the KPSEA results to address the identified learning gaps and monitor the learners’ overall progress.
The students entering Grade 7 reported to their respective institutions on Monday. Unlike the KCPE, the KPSEA assessment will not dictate where learners will join junior secondary school.
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In 2023, 1,282,574 learners participated in the KPSEA, being tested in subjects including Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Integrated Science, Social Studies, and Creative Arts.
The head teachers, equipped with logins to the KNEC Competency-Based Assessment portal, can access the results for individual learners and specific schools. However, these assessment results will now contribute to the final score for learners at the end of junior school in Grade 9.
Under the KPSEA, 60% of the total score is derived from school-based assessments conducted independently at the end of Grades 4, 5, and 6. The remaining 40% comes from the KPSEA sit-in national assessment, similar to KCPE, conducted at the end of Grade 6.
At Grade 9, the final score comprises 20% of KPSEA, 20% of school-based assessment in Grades 7 and 8, and 60% of summative evaluation at Grade 9.
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End of KCPE Era: KPSEA Shifts Focus from Ranking to Progress Monitoring
