After KPSEA: What Grade 6 Families Should Do Before Grade 7

Last reviewed: 24 October 2026

The 2026 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) ends on Wednesday 28 October. For Grade 6 learners, the next step is junior school, Grades 7 to 9. Unlike the old KCPE, KPSEA does not decide which school a child joins, and every learner moves on. But the result is not throwaway. This guide explains what happens next and how to use the long holiday well.

On this page

1. Every Learner Moves to Grade 7
2. Why the Result Still Matters
3. Reading the KPSEA Report
4. Where Will Your Child Do Junior School?
5. Junior School Costs
6. What Changes in Grade 7
7. Using the Holiday
8. Practice for the Holiday

Every Learner Moves to Grade 7

KPSEA was introduced as a monitoring tool. KNEC uses it to show learners, schools and the government where learning is strong or weak. Learners do not get a mean grade or rank. Instead KNEC issues descriptive individual reports, school reports and a national report. Every Grade 6 learner proceeds to Grade 7 regardless of the result.

Why the Result Still Matters

Twenty per cent of the KPSEA score is carried forward to the end of Grade 9, where it counts towards senior school placement. The rest of that placement score comes from Grade 7 and 8 school-based assessment (20%) and KJSEA (60%). KPSEA itself combines school-based assessment from Grades 4 to 6 (60%) with the national papers (40%), according to KNEC chief executive Dr David Njeng’ere. Read KPSEA explained.

Reading the KPSEA Report

When reports arrive through the school, look at each learning area’s performance level: Exceeding, Meeting, Approaching or Below Expectation. Use it as a map. A learning area marked Approaching or Below Expectation is a signal to give it extra attention early in Grade 7, before school-based assessments start counting towards placement. Our CBC grading guide explains the levels.

Where Will Your Child Do Junior School?

Many public primary schools host a junior school on the same compound, so most learners continue where they are. If you plan to move your child, ask both schools early about the process and make sure records are updated in the Ministry’s learner database.

Junior School Costs

Public junior schools are funded by the government through Free Day Junior School Education. The Ministry’s 2026 circulars say junior schools are not allowed to charge any other fee or levy, or to charge for a lunch programme. Families still usually pay for uniform, shoes, a bag, personal stationery and transport. Read our junior school fees and capitation guide.

What Changes in Grade 7

• More learning areas. Junior school has nine learning areas, including Pre-Technical Studies, Agriculture and Creative Arts and Sports.
• Projects. Practical projects become part of assessment.
• School-based assessment counts. Grade 7 and 8 assessments make up 20% of the senior school placement score.

Our Grade 7 guide covers the year in more detail.

Using the Holiday

1. Let your child rest for the first week after KPSEA.
2. Keep reading going: storybooks, newspapers, anything they enjoy, in English and Kiswahili.
3. Do short Mathematics practice two or three times a week to keep skills fresh.
4. Talk about the new learning areas and what your child is curious about.

Practice for the Holiday

Our holiday homework and revision packs start from KSh 120 per grade. The free CBC Challenge is a quick check of where your child stands. For a full year of papers, quizzes and revision books across Grades 4 to 9, the Year Pass costs KSh 4,000, about KSh 333 a month, paid by M-Pesa.