The Kenya National Examinations Council, Knec, has announced the grading system for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) Exams. In the grading system, marks for the candidates are not indicated.
KJSEA Grading System
KJSEA adopts an 8-level achievement system, with points awarded based on performance:
Exceeding Expectations
This is the highest score that a KJSEA candidate gets.
- EE1 (Achievement Level 8): 90–100% = 8 points (Exceptional)
- EE2 (Achievement Level 7): 75–89% = 7 points (Very Good)
Meeting Expectations
- ME1 (Achievement Level 6): 58–74% = 6 points (Good)
- ME2 (Achievement Level 5): 41–57% = 5 points (Fair)
Approaching Expectations
- AE1 (Achievement Level 4): 31–40% = 4 points (Needs Improvement)
- AE2 (Achievement Level 3): 21–30% = 3 points (Below Average)
Below Expectations
- BE1 (Achievement Level 2): 11–20% = 2 points (Well Below Average)
- BE2 (Achievement Level 1): 1–10% = 1 point (Minimal)
This system ensures that even learners who score very low are recognized for minimal effort, with no zero marks awarded.
Below is a table that shows how grade 9 students will be graded:
| Achievement Level (Label/Code) | Percentage Range | Points Awarded | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE1 (AL8) | 90–100 | 8 Points | Exceptional / Excellent |
| EE2 (AL7) | 75–89 | 7 Points | Very Good |
| ME1 (AL6) | 58–74 | 6 Points | Good |
| ME2 (AL5) | 41–57 | 5 Points | Fair |
| AE1 (AL4) | 31–40 | 4 Points | Needs Improvement |
| AE2 (AL3) | 21–30 | 3 Points | Below Average |
| BE1 (AL2) | 11–20 | 2 Points | Well Below Average |
| BE2 (AL1) | 1–10 | 1 Point | Minimal |
Final Placement to Senior Secondary Schools
Placement into senior secondary schools (Grade 10) will be based on a combined score from three components:
- KJSEA (Grade 9 Assessment): 60% of the final placement score
- School-Based Assessments (Grades 7 and 8): 20%
- KPSEA (Primary Assessment, Grade 6): 20%
This means that a student scoring 40 in mathematics in KJSEA, 15 in SBA, and 10 in KPSEA would achieve a final score of 65%, corresponding to ME1 (Meeting Expectation 1).
Placement into different categories of schools, C1 (National), C2 (Extra County), C3 (County), and C4 (Sub-County), will be based on merit.
Higher scores increase a learner’s chances of placement in higher-tier schools, in this case national schools.
Senior schools selected will be either triple pathway institutions, offering all three routes, or double pathway schools, offering two combinations, such as STEM with Arts and Sports (STEAMS) or STEM with Social Sciences (STEMS).
The Education CS stated that learners will not be issued certificates, as was the case with the now phased-out Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
Instead, they will receive result slips indicating their performance in each subject.