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Understanding the New KJSEA Grading System by KNEC: All You Need to Know

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The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has introduced a new grading system for the Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA), aimed at standardizing evaluation and providing clear performance levels for learners. The system uses eight achievement levels, each assigned a specific point value, to reflect how well a student performs.

KJSEA Achievement Levels and Points

The grading levels are categorized into four main performance bands:

Performance CategoryAchievement LevelScore (%)PointsDescription
Exceeding ExpectationsEE1 (AL 8)90–1008Exceptional
EE2 (AL 7)75–897Very Good
Meeting ExpectationsME1 (AL 6)58–746Good
ME2 (AL 5)41–575Fair
Approaching ExpectationsAE1 (AL 4)31–404Needs Improvement
AE2 (AL 3)21–303Below Average
Below ExpectationsBE1 (AL 2)11–202Well Below Average
BE2 (AL 1)1–101Minimal

How Final Placement in Senior Secondary is Calculated

A student’s final placement in senior secondary school is determined by combining performance in multiple assessments:

  • KJSEA (Junior Secondary Assessment): 60%
  • SBA (School-Based Assessment in Grades 7 & 8): 20%
  • KPSEA (Primary Education Assessment): 20%

The final score is calculated as follows:

Final Score = (KJSEA × 60%) + (SBA × 20%) + (KPSEA × 20%)

This system ensures that learners are evaluated fairly based on consistent assessment criteria across junior secondary education, school-based assessments, and primary school performance.