How Competency-Based Curriculum assessment works

Shikuku Shining Stars Academy pupils being trained at their institution at Sicharai in Kakamega on March 4, 2020. [Benjamin Sakwa]

The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) continues to take shape with Grade 5 students across the country officially beginning their formative assessments today.

The assessment, which will account for 20 per cent of their final scores, will be administered and marked by their teachers.

The test has been provided to all schools by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) through the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal.

Schools will be required to enter their usernames and passwords to retrieve the tests after which they can either print or project for the students.

Ann Ngatia, who chairs the committee on Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) at the examinations council, says the council has the mechanisms of monitoring the process to ensure results are not altered.

"Over 100 KNEC officials are monitoring the assessments from across the country. For example, I am in Embu. If a school has a challenge, we will advise them," Ngatia told The Standard on phone.

She also expressed confidence in teachers saying they had undergone sufficient training to ensure grades were not inflated.

"The formative tests have practicals that cannot be done at once because some schools have more students than others and some practical tests take more time. Hence, KNEC has allowed teachers some flexibility as there is no timetable," she added.

Teachers are expected to upload learners' scores on the portal by February 21.

This is the second assessment the CBC pioneers are sitting, having done their first in Grade Four. 

The tests will each account for 20 per cent of the final score.

The learners will proceed on a seven-week holiday on March 4 together with other learners. 

They will resume their studies on April 25 as Grade Six students.

Here, another formative assessment will be done and will also account for another 20 per cent.

The final test, which accounts for 40 per cent, will be taken between November 28 and December 1 under KNEC’s supervision.