The End of 8-4-4 Era: KCPE Exams after 38 Years
After 38 years, the Kenya Certificate for Primary Education Examinations (KCPE) will finally come to an end as the last batch of students takes the tests. A total of 1,415,315 candidates will commence the final KCPE on Monday, marking the conclusion of the nearly four-decade-old 8-4-4 system.
The Ministry is ushering in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), adopting a 2-6-6-3 system as a replacement for the 8-4-4 curriculum. The government advocates for CBC as the most effective way to equip students with practical skills.
The 8-4-4 system, renowned for its focus on exams and competition, placed immense pressure on students to attain top results.
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Maria Goretti Nyariki, who took the first-ever KCPE exam in 1985, pointed out that the pressure surrounding the exams has increased over the years, resulting in a decline in the authenticity of the results. She mentioned that the proliferation of cheating and corruption has undermined the credibility of the exams.
Moreover, Nyariki noted that the pressure to excel led to the commercialization of exams, with schools and parents overly concerned about their children’s performance.
Despite the challenges of CBC, Nyariki believes it offers early exposure to students and helps them determine their career paths. She expressed concern about the immense pressure on the current generation, including the volume of study materials and assignments.
As KCPE phases out, students will now sit for their first national exam at Grade 6. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will take over from KCPE, but it will not determine whether students progress to the next level, which is Junior Secondary School for Grade 7.
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KPSEA serves as a monitoring tool for assessing student achievements.
The first group of students took the KPSEA exam alongside KCPE last year, and this year, 1,282,574 Grade 6 students are also sitting for their KPSEA exam. The exams for both KCPE and KPSEA are scheduled to run from Monday, October 30, to Wednesday, November 1.
In the future, KNEC will no longer test students in subjects such as Maths, English, Kiswahili, Science, Social Studies, and Religious Education. Instead, under KPSEA, students will take assessments in 12 subjects, which are consolidated into five areas. These areas comprise Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Integrated Science (encompassing Home Science, Agriculture, Science and Technology, and Physical Health), and Creative and Social Sciences (which include Arts and Craft, Music, Social Studies, and Religious Education).
The KPSEA exam will account for 40% of the student’s overall grade, while the remaining 60% will be based on continuous classroom assessments conducted in Grades 4, 5, and 6.
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The End of 8-4-4 Era: KCPE Exams after 38 Years
