End of high-stakes KCPE as 1.3m begin Grade Six assessment tests

 Grade 6 pupils at Paramount Education Centre in Mombasa during Kenya Primary School Education Assessment on October 31, 2023. [File, Standard]

Today, more than 1.3 million Grade Six candidates will begin rehearsals for Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exam, marking a significant shift in Kenya’s primary education system.

This assessment replaces the long-standing Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.

For the first time in nearly four decades, primary school students will not sit for the KCPE exams.

Although this will be the third administration of KPSEA under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), it is the first time the national assessment is conducted solely, without KCPE.

A total of 1,303,913 Grade Six candidates are expected to sit the national exam. The tests will begin on Monday with Mathematics and English, followed by Integrated Science and Kiswahili on Tuesday. The assessment will conclude on Wednesday with Creative Arts and Social Studies.

The KPSEA will monitor learners’ progress as they transition to Junior Secondary School. This change represents the dawn of a new era in Kenya’s education system, one that promises a less stressful and more holistic learning environment.

Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA) chairman Johnson Nzioka, noted that for decades, the KCPE exam was a high-pressure moment for students, with results determining their secondary school placements.

“Focus on a single national exam came with significant downsides—students faced stress, anxiety, and pressure to perform, often sacrificing holistic learning for rote memorisation,” Nzioka said.

He added that the new assessment gives learners the opportunity to focus on their strengths and improve their weaknesses without the same level of pressure. “This change aligns with Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum, which seeks to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity over memorisation and exam performance,” he said.

Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Collins Oyuu, welcomed the change, noting that it would eliminate the academic classism associated with KCPE. He criticised the previous system, which selected students for secondary school based on their performance, a practice he said was retrogressive and led to many candidates dropping out of school.

Oyuu emphasised that the automatic transition will improve retention rates. “We expect more learners who begin Grade One to progress through to secondary school. Unlike KCPE, which determines secondary school placements, KPSEA is designed to be a lower-stakes assessment,” he said.

To mark the shift, the Education Cabinet Secretary announced in early October that there will no longer be celebrations or elaborate ceremonies surrounding the release of KPSEA results. Security measures have also been scaled down—there will be no armed police during exams, and classroom teachers will replace the strict supervision seen in KCPE.

Education advocacy expert Janet Ouko Muthoni observed that reducing exam-related tension aims to create a more conducive learning environment.

“The competitive nature of KCPE drove many students to strive for top grades, but it also placed undue pressure on those who struggled. By removing the cutthroat competition, the government hopes to foster an education system that values individual growth over ranking and comparison,” Ouko said.

However, she noted that this shift will require a reorientation of mindsets among students, parents, and educators.