The Ministry of Education has confirmed that Grade 9 learners who sat the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) will be able to access their Grade 10 school placements within the next two days, in a critical step toward completing the transition from junior to senior secondary education under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the placement results will be released by Friday, December 19, 2025, allowing learners and parents to know the senior schools to which candidates have been assigned ahead of the next academic phase.
According to the Ministry, learners will access their placement details through a Short Message Service (SMS) platform by sending their KJSEA assessment numbers to the official code 22263. The digital approach mirrors previous placement systems used under the former 8-4-4 structure, aimed at ensuring accessibility across the country, including in areas with limited internet connectivity.
“The placement process is complete, and learners will be able to know their senior schools by Friday,” Bitok said, adding that the Ministry has put in place measures to ensure a smooth and transparent release of the results.
The announcement comes as Kenya continues to operationalise the CBC, which replaced the 8-4-4 system and introduced a new education structure that emphasises skills development, learner competencies, and career pathways. The KJSEA assessment is the first national evaluation designed to guide placement into senior secondary education under the new framework.
Under the CBC structure, senior secondary education begins at Grade 10 and offers learners a choice of pathways based on their interests, strengths, and career aspirations. These pathways include Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports.
The placement of learners into senior schools has been closely watched by parents, teachers, and education stakeholders, many of whom view it as a major test of the government’s readiness to fully implement the CBC at scale. The process involves aligning learner performance, school capacity, subject combinations, and regional equity considerations.
Education officials say the placement model has been designed to ensure fairness while supporting the policy objective of decongesting a small number of highly sought-after national schools and strengthening other institutions across the country.
“The goal is not just placement, but placement that reflects the learner’s abilities, preferences, and the available capacity within the system,” said a senior official involved in the process.
The release of placements is expected to set off a flurry of activity among parents and schools, including confirmation of admissions, preparation of joining instructions, and logistical planning for the transition into senior secondary education. Schools are expected to communicate reporting dates and subject selection details shortly after placements are made public.
The government has previously said that significant investments have been made to prepare senior schools for the CBC rollout, including infrastructure expansion, teacher training, and curriculum alignment. Thousands of teachers have undergone retraining to equip them with the skills needed to deliver the new curriculum, particularly in specialised learning areas.
Despite these preparations, the CBC transition has not been without controversy. Concerns have been raised over school readiness, funding gaps, class sizes, and the capacity of some institutions to offer all the required pathways. Parents have also expressed anxiety over costs, particularly for specialised learning areas that require equipment and materials.
The Ministry has sought to reassure stakeholders that measures are in place to address these concerns, including phased implementation, targeted funding, and continuous monitoring of schools as the transition progresses.
The KJSEA assessment itself marked a departure from traditional high-stakes examinations, focusing instead on evaluating learners’ competencies, problem-solving abilities, and practical skills developed during junior secondary education. Education experts say the assessment is intended to inform placement decisions rather than rank learners purely on academic scores.
“The CBC assessment framework is about understanding what a learner can do, not just what they can memorise,” said an education policy analyst. “How this translates into placement outcomes will shape public confidence in the new system.”
The SMS-based placement system is expected to handle millions of queries over the next few days, and the Ministry has urged parents and learners to exercise patience in case of delays due to high traffic volumes.
Education officials have also warned against falling victim to fraudsters purporting to offer placement changes or admissions assistance for a fee, stressing that the entire process is centrally managed and free of charge.
Once placements are released, learners who wish to seek transfers will be guided through an official appeal and review mechanism, details of which are expected to be communicated by the Ministry in due course.
The transition to senior secondary education under the CBC represents one of the most significant reforms in Kenya’s education sector in decades. Its success will have far-reaching implications for workforce development, higher education, and the country’s long-term economic competitiveness.
As Grade 9 learners await their placement results, attention now shifts to how effectively schools, families, and policymakers manage the next phase of implementation, ensuring that the promise of the CBC translates into meaningful learning outcomes and equitable opportunities for all learners.
