Last reviewed: 25 October 2026
Grade 9 candidates start the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) on Monday 26 October, and the first paper on the desk will carry a short number in the top corner: 901/1. Many parents have been searching for what that number means. It is simply the code the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) gives each paper, the same way KCSE uses 121/1 for Mathematics Paper 1. This guide decodes every 2026 KJSEA code so you can read the timetable, the question paper and, later, the result slip without guessing.
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How a KJSEA Code Is Built
A code has two parts. The first three digits name the subject. All KJSEA subjects sit in the 900 range, from 901 for English to 912 for Pre-Technical Studies. The number after the slash names the paper within that subject. So 901/1 is English Paper 1 and 901/2 is English Paper 2. A subject with only one paper, such as Mathematics (903) or Social Studies (907), has no slash at all.
KNEC announced the 900-series codes when the first KJSEA was set up in 2025, listing all twelve subjects from English (901) to Pre-Technical Studies (912), as Education News reported from KNEC’s guidelines. The same codes are used again in 2026.
Every 2026 KJSEA Code, Day by Day
The table below follows the revised timetable KNEC published as the 2026 KJSEA Timetable and Instructions (KNEC/TD/SE/KJSEA/TT/2026/003). Morning papers start at 8.30 a.m. Braille and hearing-impaired versions keep the same code but run longer.
| Code | Paper | When | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 901/1 | English Language (reading, oral skills, grammar) | Mon 26 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 901/2 | English (Composition & Literary Analysis) | Mon 26 Oct, 11.10 a.m. | 1 h 45 min |
| 902/1 | Kiswahili Lugha | Tue 27 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 904/1 | Kenyan Sign Language | Tue 27 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 902/2 | Kiswahili (Insha na Utangulizi wa Fasihi) | Tue 27 Oct, 11.10 a.m. | 1 h 45 min |
| 904/2 | Kenyan Sign Language | Tue 27 Oct, 11.10 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 903 | Mathematics | Wed 28 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 2 h |
| 906/1 | Agriculture | Wed 28 Oct, 11.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 905/1 | Integrated Science | Thu 29 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 907 | Social Studies | Thu 29 Oct, 11.10 a.m. | 1 h 30 min |
| 911/2 | Creative Arts & Sports | Thu 29 Oct, 2.00 p.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 912/1 | Pre-Technical Studies | Fri 30 Oct, 8.30 a.m. | 1 h 40 min |
| 908 / 909 / 910 | CRE / IRE / HRE (the candidate’s registered option) | Fri 30 Oct, 11.10 a.m. | 1 h 30 min |
| 905/2 | Integrated Science | Fri 30 Oct, 2.00 p.m. | 1 h |
The Codes Your Child Already Finished
Three codes on the timetable are not written this week. 911/1 (Creative Arts & Sports project) ran for three months from May to July 2026, while 912/2 (Pre-Technical Studies project) and 906/2 (Agriculture project) each took one month in July. That is why the written Pre-Technical paper is 912/1 and the Creative Arts paper is 911/2: the paper number follows KNEC’s structure for the subject, not the order in which papers are done. If your child missed any project work, talk to the school now rather than when results come out.
Two Codes That Catch Candidates Out
- 905/2 on Friday afternoon. Integrated Science has a second, one-hour paper at 2.00 p.m. on the last day, after Religious Education. A learner who thinks science “finished on Thursday” may relax too early. Keep science notes out until Friday lunchtime.
- Religious Education is one paper, three codes. Candidates sit only the option they registered for: 908 for CRE, 909 for IRE or 910 for HRE. Check the code on the paper matches your child’s registration.
Why the Code Matters in the Exam Room
KNEC’s instructions tell candidates to check that every page of the question paper is printed and that their name and assessment number are correct on the paper and answer script. In 2026 supervisors issue personalised question papers carrying the candidate’s name and a random number, according to the same KNEC timetable. Reading the code first is a quick, calm habit: it confirms you have the right paper (for example 902/1 and not 904/1) before you spend a minute on it. If anything is wrong, raise your hand straight away.
For English Paper 1 and other multiple-choice papers, answers go on the answer sheet in HB pencil. Our shading tips for multiple-choice papers apply to KJSEA too.
How KJSEA Codes Compare With KCSE Codes
Older siblings in Form Four will recognise the format. The 2026 KCSE timetable uses 101 for English, 102 for Kiswahili, 121 for Mathematics Alternative A, and 231, 232 and 233 for Biology, Physics and Chemistry. KJSEA simply moved junior school into its own 900 block so the two exams never share a number. See our KJSEA vs KCSE comparison for how the exams differ beyond the codes.
Revise by Code This Week
Each of our Grade 9 practice papers is labelled with its real KJSEA code and timed to the real paper length:
- 901/1 English Paper 1 practice paper, 50 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 40 minutes
- 902 Kiswahili practice
- 903 Mathematics practice
- 905 Integrated Science practice
For the full timetable with Braille and hearing-impaired timings, see our KJSEA 2026 timetable. For each day’s paper tips, start with English paper day and the exam-day checklist. Questions on our practice papers are original, written in the KNEC format and checked by a teacher; they are not official KNEC papers.
Ten-minute check: try the free Grade 9 CBC Challenge. It has 10 questions, each marked on the spot with the working, and it shows which topics to practise next.