The long wait for more than a million Kenyan families ends today as the Ministry of Education releases placements for Grade 10, the first cohort to transition to senior secondary school under the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

This placement determines the academic path each learner will take for the next three years, shaping future career prospects and fundamentally altering Kenya's education landscape. For parents and students, it's a moment of truth that directly impacts household planning and a child's future.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that learners can access their results by sending their KNEC assessment number via SMS to 22263. Students are expected to report to their new schools on January 12, 2026, for the start of their senior school journey.

A New Era of School Selection

Unlike the previous 8-4-4 system which relied almost solely on exam performance, this new placement is a complex, automated process. Ministry officials emphasized that the selection considers multiple factors to ensure fairness and alignment with student capabilities.

The key criteria include:

• A learner's choices of schools and career pathways.
• Performance in the KJSEA, which accounts for 60% of the final score.
• Results from psychometric tests designed to gauge aptitude.
• School capacity and equity considerations to ensure a fair distribution of students.

The assessment, conducted between October 27 and November 3, 2025, evaluated over 1.1 million learners. The results are not just a grade but a detailed report on a student's strengths, guiding them towards one of three main academic pathways: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science.

Pathways to the Future

The Ministry explained that top performers in each of the three pathways will receive priority placement in their chosen boarding schools. This system is designed to nurture specific talents from an early age, a core principle of the CBC. According to the ministry, over 600,000 learners showed a preference for the STEM pathway, 437,000 for social sciences, and 124,000 for arts and sports.

PS Bitok has urged teachers and parents to help learners understand this new approach, noting it is not about just passing exams but about identifying and nurturing a child's best abilities. While details on a potential revision window for dissatisfied students have been mentioned, the immediate focus is on ensuring all 1.1 million learners secure a place for the January intake.

As this first CBC cohort steps into senior school, they carry the aspirations of a nation transitioning to a new educational philosophy—one focused on competency and practical skills for the modern world.