Last reviewed: 25 October 2026
Written tests still have a place in the Competency Based Curriculum. The difference is in what they ask. A CBC test should check whether learners can use what they learned, not just recall it. This guide walks through a practical process for setting a classroom test that is fair, covers the right content, and gives you useful information for your records.
On this page
- Why test design matters more now
- Step 1: Build a test blueprint
- Step 2: Start from the curriculum design
- Step 3: Write competency-based questions
- Step 4: Mix question types sensibly
- Step 5: Write the marking scheme at the same time
- Step 6: Check timing and layout
- Step 7: Moderate with a colleague
- Turning marks into CBC levels
Why test design matters more now
National assessments at Grade 6 (KPSEA) and Grade 9 (KJSEA) use competency-based items: questions built around a short situation, a picture, a table or a real-life problem. The Kenya National Examinations Council publishes information about these assessments, and its sample items show the style clearly. If your classroom tests only ask “define” and “list”, learners meet the national format for the first time in the exam room. Setting tests in the same style through the year is one of the simplest ways to prepare them.
Step 1: Build a test blueprint
A blueprint is a small table that lists the sub-strands you taught on one side and the type of thinking on the other: recall, understanding, application and analysis. Decide how many marks go in each cell before writing any question. A fair split for a mid-term test might be about a quarter recall and three quarters understanding and application. The blueprint stops the common problem of a test that is heavy on the one topic the teacher enjoys.
Step 2: Start from the curriculum design
Each question should link to a specific learning outcome in the curriculum design for your grade, available from the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development. If you cannot point to the outcome a question tests, cut it.
Step 3: Write competency-based questions
Give each question a short, familiar context. Compare these two Grade 6 items:
- Recall: “What is a fraction?”
- Competency-based: “Amina cut a chapati into 8 equal pieces and ate 3. Her brother ate 2. What fraction of the chapati is left?”
The second checks the same knowledge but asks the learner to use it. Keep contexts short, use Kenyan names and settings, and make sure the language is at the learners’ reading level so you are testing the subject, not reading speed.
Step 4: Mix question types sensibly
Multiple-choice items are quick to mark and good for checking many outcomes. Short structured questions show working and method. One longer item, such as interpreting a graph or explaining an experiment, shows deeper understanding. For multiple choice, make every wrong option a mistake a learner might really make, such as adding denominators, rather than an obviously silly answer.
Step 5: Write the marking scheme at the same time
Write the expected answer and the marks for each step while setting the question. If you struggle to write the answer, the question is unclear. Award method marks so that a learner who makes one arithmetic slip still gets credit for correct reasoning.
Step 6: Check timing and layout
Work the test yourself and multiply your time by about three for a typical learner. Leave enough space for working, number pages, and print diagrams large enough to read. For learners with visual or other difficulties, prepare an enlarged copy or allow extra time; our special needs education guide explains why accommodations matter.
Step 7: Moderate with a colleague
Ask another teacher of the same grade to read the paper and the marking scheme before printing. They will spot ambiguous wording and errors in answers. After marking, look at which questions most learners got wrong. That is your re-teaching list for next week.
Turning marks into CBC levels
For reporting, convert scores into the performance levels your school uses. Keep the conversion bands the same for the whole grade. Our rubric guide explains the levels, and the CBC Challenge quizzes give learners extra practice in the competency-based style.