KJSEA Grade 9 English Paper 1 Practice Papers With Answers

The first five questions, on the first passage, are free with worked answers. Learners unlock all 50, the exam timer and the full review.

A second full 901/1 paper with three new texts: a story set in Gikomba market, an information text about Lake Turkana, and a holiday coding-bootcamp advertisement. It also has new oral-skills, cloze and grammar items, including the third conditional, “news” as a singular noun, colons and joining with “unless”.

From the KNEC 2026 KJSEA timetable and published content distribution. English is the very first KJSEA paper, so a confident start sets the tone for the week.

Comprehension (20 marks). Three texts, which may include a story, an information text and a functional text such as a notice or advert. Questions test facts stated in the text, inference (what the writer suggests), vocabulary in context, the writer’s attitude and the best title. Read the questions first so you know what to look for, then read the passage carefully once. For vocabulary questions, go back to the sentence: “convenience” in a passage about mobile money means ease of use, whatever else it can mean.

Oral skills (5 marks). Stress, vowel sounds, silent letters and polite conversation. Say words quietly in your head; most learners can hear where the stress falls once they try.

Cloze test (10 marks). A passage with numbered gaps. Read the whole passage first, then fill each gap by checking grammar (tense, singular or plural, word class) and meaning. Linking words such as “however” and “therefore” depend on whether the next idea agrees or contrasts.

Grammar (15 marks). Tenses, concord, prepositions, pronouns, question tags, reported speech, the passive voice, comparatives, conditionals, phrasal verbs, punctuation and joining sentences.

• “Neither… nor” and “either… or”: the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
• “Although” and “but” in the same sentence. Use one, never both.
• “Between you and I”. After a preposition use “me”.
• Reported speech: move the tense back and change pronouns (“I am tired” → he said he was tired).
• “Since” for a starting point, “for” for a length of time.

Paper 2 cannot be auto-marked, but the same habits help. Practise writing a composition of the required length in about 35 minutes, with a clear opening, paragraphs and an ending. For the set novella and play, know the characters, main events and themes well enough to give an example from the text for every point you make. Our Learner members will get model compositions and marking guides here as we add them.

See all papers on the Grade 9 revision papers page, the Grade 9 English guide for the curriculum, and the Grade 9 CBC Challenge for quick practice.