KJSEA: How new exam rules are easing learners' anxiety

The second cohort of students writing Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) ease in administration and conduct as schools and educators adapt to the new operational model.

The exam has eased the environment  around which examinations were conducted in the past 8-4-4, which was characterised by anxiety and tight security.

But with the new changes, the environment around schools has now switched to an eased environment, with no police presence in the exam rooms as the 2.58 million Grade Six and Grade Nine learners on Friday completed their rehearsals ahead of next week’s Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).

The assessments, which will run concurrently from Monday, October 26, will mark a major milestone for learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system as the government prepares to transition the second cohort of junior school learners into senior school next year.

Figures released by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) show that 1,380,463 candidates have registered for KPSEA, while 1,206,028 learners will sit KJSEA, bringing the combined candidature to 2,586,491.

KPSEA will run for three days, ending on October 28, while KJSEA will continue until October 30.

The changes however, do not end there as the 1.2 million KJSEA candidates will not be issued with a certificate when the results are released. Instead, candidates will be issued with result slips showing their performance in each subject, without an overall grade. The overall score will be shared exclusively with the Ministry of Education to guide placement into senior secondary schools.

A certificate will only be issued at the end of Senior School (Grade 12) after learners complete their final examination.

The reforms aim to eliminate one-off, high-pressure exams and encourage continuous assessment. Under the new arrangement, candidates enter the exam having earned up to 40 per cent of their final mark from their Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) results in Grade 6 and classroom assessments in Grades 7 and 8.

They will now compete for the remaining 60 per cent through the KJSEA, a significant departure from the KCPE, which determined 100 per cent of the final score.

KJSEA will evaluate learners in nine broad areas: English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Religious Education (Christian, Islamic or Hindu), Agriculture, Pre-Technical Studies, Creative Arts and Sports, and Kenyan Sign Language for hearing-impaired students.

And unlike the KCPE, which relied entirely on multiple-choice questions, KJSEA combines multiple-choice, short-answer and essay questions. In some subjects, such as Pre-Technical Studies and Creative Arts, learners have been assessed through projects conducted throughout Grade 9, mirroring the KCSE model used in Agriculture and other technical subjects.

Administration procedures have equally changed. The number of police officers deployed to exam centres has been reduced, with primary school teachers serving as invigilators and secondary school teachers as supervisors to curb malpractice.

But that’s not all, another major difference in KJSEA is that unlike KCPE candidates in Grade 9 that cannot simply register for the final assessment without having gone through the preceding stages of assessment.

Under CBC, assessment journey begins in Grade Three, when learners undertake the Kenya Early Years Assessment (KEYA), followed by subsequent School Based Assessments in Grade 4,5 and KPSEA in Grade 6.

They also take School Based Assessments in Grade7 and 8 before sitting KJSEA as the assessments play a crucial role in the students final KJSEA mark.

The current KJSEA assessments account for the largest share of the final score, at 60 per cent, with the other two components ensuring that a learner’s performance is not determined solely by what they achieve during the Grade Nine assessment period.

KJSEA uses an eight-point performance scale that describes the level at which a learner has demonstrated the expected competencies.

The scale is divided into four broad performance categories, each with two levels.

Learners can be graded as Below Expectations Level 1 or Level 2, Approaching Expectations Level 1 or Level 2, Meeting Expectations Level 1 or Level 2, and Exceeding Expectations Level 1 or Level 2.

The scale is intended to show how well learners have developed the expected competencies in individual learning areas, rather than relying exclusively on a single overall score.

The results are expected to help guide placement into senior school, where learners will pursue pathways aligned with their interests, abilities and future aspirations.