NAIROBI, Kenya — The long wait for over 1.1 million Kenyan families ended today as the Ministry of Education officially released the Grade 10 placement results for the pioneer cohort of the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that the placement process for the 1,130,459 candidates is now complete, marking a historic transition for the first-ever Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) cohort into senior secondary education.
How to access placement results
The Ministry has provided two primary methods for parents and learners to check their assigned schools:
- SMS service: Candidates can send their KNEC Assessment Number via SMS to the shortcode 22263. Each SMS costs KSh 30 and is available across all major mobile networks.
- Online Portal: Placement letters and detailed results can also be accessed through the official Ministry portal at selection.education.go.ke.
The new placement criteria
Unlike the previous 8-4-4 system, which relied heavily on a single aggregate score, the 2025 senior school placement is an automated process based on a composite evaluation:
| Component | Weighting |
| Summative Evaluation (KJSEA Grade 9) | 60% |
| School-Based Assessments (Grade 7 & 8) | 20% |
| KPSEA (Grade 6 Results) | 20% |
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba noted that placements were determined by three critical factors: the learner’s performance, their selected career pathway (STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts & Sports Science), and the available capacity in the 9,540 senior schools nationwide.
Pathway eligibility trends
According to the 2025 results, the majority of learners showed a high aptitude for technical and scientific fields:
- STEM Pathway: 59.09% of candidates demonstrated potential for science and technology.
- Social Sciences: 46.52% qualified for this track.
- Arts & Sports Science: 48.73% showed capability for the creative and athletic pathway.
Revision window and reporting dates
For learners who may be unsatisfied with their assigned school or pathway, the government has announced a revision window starting Tuesday, December 23, 2025. This allows students a five-day period to align their placement with their academic strengths and career interests.
Also Read: Ministry of Education releases 2025 KJSEA results: How learners performed
“The EE [Exceeding Expectation] we are talking about here is not like the ‘E’ of KCPE; EE here means Exceeding Expectation, actually is the best,” PS Bitok clarified, urging parents to understand the qualitative nature of the new grading system.
All Grade 10 learners are expected to report to their new senior schools on January 12, 2026.
The Ministry has assured the public that there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the entire cohort, with approximately 1.5 million available slots against the 1.1 million transitioning students.
