By Muita Njambi
Kenya is set to pilot its first assessment under the Competency-based Curriculum (CBC) for Grade 9 pupils.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) will conduct the exercise from July 15 to 19, 2024. This pilot aims to prepare students for their final Junior Secondary School (JSS) assessment next year.
A total of 5,875 learners from 235 schools, including regular and special needs institutions, will participate. Each county will have five schools selected for the pilot.
“We have a variety of assessment formats. We will have multiple choice and short structured questions where learners write their own responses,” Anne Ngatia, acting director of KNEC stated.
The results will be analyzed to assess performance in these formats.
“In Grades 7 and 8, learners have been sitting for school-based assessments. This strategy moves away from high-stakes exams that often lead to malpractices,” KNEC CEO David Njegere explained.
He also added that this ensures malpractices seen in the other systems are avoided.
Of the 5,875 learners, 5,125 are from the regular curriculum, and 750 are children with special needs.
Ngatia highlighted the introduction of a learner questionnaire, a first for KNEC.
“We want to find out what their interests are. The purpose of this assessment is to help them choose their career pathways based on interests and personality,” she said.
The pilot scores will be used for research purposes only and will not affect formative or summative assessments.
“Teachers are asked not to coach students. They just need to show up to make the process as natural as possible,” Njegere added.
Learners will be assessed in eight subjects: English Language, English (Composition & Literary Analysis), Kiswahili Lugha, Kiswahili (Insha na Utangulizi wa Fasihi), Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), Mathematics, Integrated Science, Agriculture & Nutrition, Religious Education (CRE, HRE, IRE), Creative Arts & Sports, and Pre-Technical Studies.