Last reviewed: 19 October 2026
By the week of the national assessments, the revision is mostly done. What is left is logistics, and logistics are where avoidable marks get lost: a pen that runs dry halfway through English, a phone forgotten in a blazer pocket, a child who arrives at 8.40 a.m. for an 8.30 a.m. paper. This page is the short, practical list for that week. Print it, or keep it open on your phone, and tick it off each evening.
For every paper, date and time, use our KJSEA timetable 2026 and the timetable on our KPSEA 2026 page. This checklist does not repeat those tables. It tells you what to do with them.
On this page
The Pencil Case: Pack It Once, Check It Every Night
The two assessments have different rules on what to write with, so pack for the right one.
- Grade 6 (KPSEA): every KPSEA paper is answered by shading an answer sheet. KNEC’s instructions say to shade the name and assessment number on the answer sheet with a pencil, not a fountain pen or biro, and the answers are shaded in pencil too. Pack two or three sharpened pencils, a sharpener and a clean rubber. A smudged rubber leaves grey marks that make a shaded answer harder to read.
- Grade 9 (KJSEA): written answers must be in black or blue ink, and erasable pens are not allowed. Pencils are for diagrams and for shading multiple-choice answers. Pack at least two pens of the same colour, two pencils, a rubber, a sharpener, a ruler and a full geometry set, because KNEC asks candidates to bring their mathematical and drawing instruments.
- Both: a clear, labelled pencil case makes the check at the door quicker. Leave out anything with writing on it, such as a ruler with formulas or a pencil case covered in notes. KNEC bans any book, notes or paper in the room apart from the question paper and authorised materials.
What Must Stay at Home
This is the part of the list that protects results rather than marks. KNEC’s rule is blunt: a candidate found with a mobile phone or any other electronic communication device has their results cancelled. Do not rely on “it was switched off” or “it was in my bag”. If your child normally carries a phone for the matatu ride home, arrange another plan for this one week. A smartwatch or fitness band that pairs with a phone is risky for the same reason, so leave it at home too.
Be wary of anyone selling “leaked” KJSEA or KPSEA papers on WhatsApp or Telegram. Under the KNEC Act, an irregularity in one paper cancels the result for the whole subject, and revealing assessment material can mean up to ten years in prison or a fine of up to KES 2 million. Most of these offers are scams anyway. Paying for one only puts your child’s result at risk.
The Night Before
- Read the next day’s papers off the timetable together, so your child knows how many papers there are and when each one starts.
- Lay out the uniform, shoes and pencil case by the door. On the Grade 9 heavy days, Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October, there are three papers each, with lunch from 1.10 to 2.00 p.m. Check what the school is doing about lunch and pack accordingly.
- Test every pen on scrap paper. Throw away any pen that skips.
- Keep revision light: fifteen minutes on a short list of formulas, spellings or methali, not a new topic. If your child wants to do more, one short timed set from our online practice papers is enough.
- Set the alarm for the same time as on the school days that worked, and aim for lights out at the usual hour. A tired child reads questions badly, and KNEC gives no extra time: reading time is part of the time on the paper.
The Morning
- Breakfast your child already eats: uji, tea with bread or chapati, an egg, sweet potatoes or arrowroots. Exam day is not the day to try something new.
- Plan to arrive by about 7.45 a.m. Candidates are checked at the door and must be seated by 8.15 a.m. for an 8.30 a.m. start, and a child who is more than half an hour late gets the paper only in exceptional circumstances.
- If you are running late, call the school. Do not put your child on a speeding boda boda without a helmet. A few minutes’ delay can be explained; an accident cannot be undone.
- Do a last pocket check at the gate for a phone, a smartwatch or folded notes.
In the Room: Three Habits Worth Rehearsing
Go over these at home before rehearsal day, Friday 23 October, so they are habits by Monday.
- Check the paper before starting. Make sure every page is printed and the name and assessment number on the answer sheet or booklet are correct. A smudged or badly printed paper should go straight back to the supervisor for a new one. Grade 9 candidates also sign their answer booklet.
- Rough work goes on the question paper. KNEC’s rules say rough work is done on the official question paper and no paper, used or unused, leaves the room, so there is no point bringing scrap paper.
- Eyes on your own work. Talking to other candidates, passing anything, or leaving answers where a neighbour can read them all count as irregularities. Remind your child that a whispered “what did you get for number 12?” can cost the whole subject.
During the Week
When your child comes home, ask “how did it feel?” rather than going through answers. A paper that is finished cannot be improved, and a long post-mortem steals sleep from the next one. Spend the evening on the next day’s subjects and the night-before list above.
If you have a Grade 6 and a Grade 9 child, Monday to Wednesday is the crunch, because both are sitting papers at 8.30 a.m. Pack both pencil cases the night before and keep them separate, since a Grade 6 learner needs pencils and a Grade 9 learner needs pens.
If your child falls sick or something happens at home during the week, call the head teacher straight away, before the next paper. Only the school can tell you what is possible on the day.
Where to Go Next
For the full picture, start at our KJSEA 2026 parent hub or the KPSEA 2026 guide. If there are still a few days left before the papers, how to help your child revise for KJSEA sets out a calm routine. KJSEA explained covers what happens after the papers, including how results feed into senior school placement.
Sources: KNEC, 2026 KPSEA Timetable, Instructions and Guidelines (KNEC/TD/SE/KPSEA/TT/26/001), and 2026 KJSEA Timetable and Instructions (KNEC/TD/SE/KJSEA/TT/2026/003, revised). Rules are summarised. Follow your school’s and the supervisor’s instructions on the day. Checked by the CBC Guides team.