Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
Families move between CBC and the British (Cambridge) system for many reasons: a job transfer, fees, or a change in what a child needs. The move is common and workable, but there is no single official conversion table between CBC grades and British year groups. This guide explains how schools usually place children, what paperwork you will need, and what to watch for in each direction.
On this page
How the year groups line up
The British system names classes by “Year”, from Reception (about age 4–5) through Year 13 (about age 17–18). CBC uses Grades 1–12 after two pre-primary years. Because placement in British-curriculum schools is usually by age, a rough guide is:
| Usual age at start of year | CBC | British system |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Grade 1 | Year 2 |
| 11 | Grade 6 | Year 7 |
| 12 | Grade 7 (junior school) | Year 8 |
| 14 | Grade 9 | Year 10 (IGCSE starts) |
| 15 | Grade 10 (senior school) | Year 11 (IGCSE exams) |
| 16–17 | Grades 11–12 | Years 12–13 (AS/A Level) |
This is an approximation. Each school sets its own cut-off date, and many will test a child before deciding the year group. Treat it as a starting point for the conversation, not a rule.
Moving from CBC to IGCSE
- Timing: IGCSE is a two-year course, usually starting in Year 10. Joining at the start of Year 10 is far easier than joining mid-course, when coursework and subject choices are already fixed.
- Entrance assessment: most schools set tests in English and Mathematics, sometimes science. Strong reading and written English matter a lot because IGCSE exams are heavily written.
- Subject gaps: CBC junior school covers Integrated Science and Pre-Technical Studies, while IGCSE splits Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Ask the school which topics new students usually need to catch up on.
- Documents: bring report forms, the KPSEA result slip if available, a birth certificate and the leaving certificate.
Moving from IGCSE back to CBC
Joining a Kenyan school that offers KNEC assessments with a foreign certificate requires care. Under the KNEC (Equation of Certificates) Rules, 2015, a person holding a foreign certificate and seeking to join an institution offering a council examination must obtain an equation from KNEC before joining. The same rules say KNEC will not equate foreign certificates awarded within Kenya, so a learner who sat IGCSE in Kenya should ask the receiving school and KNEC how they will be admitted rather than assuming an equation letter will be issued.
KNEC handles equation online through its QMIS portal and charges KSh 3,480 per equation letter, according to its published guidelines. Younger children moving between grades usually only need report forms and a leaving certificate, but check with the receiving school early.
Practical tips
- Visit at least two schools and ask how they placed the last few transfer students.
- Ask for the school’s year-group cut-off date in writing.
- Budget for exam entries as well as fees; see the cost of IGCSE exams in Kenya.
- Compare published fees on our fees directory before committing.
For CBC learners, the Senior School Finder lists public senior schools by county.
Sources
- Kenya Law, KNEC (Equation of Certificates) Rules, 2015 (LN 130 of 2015), rules 5–6
- KNEC guidelines on equation of foreign qualifications (QMIS), as reported by Education News Hub
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Cambridge IGCSE overview
CBC Guides is independent and not part of KNEC, KICD or Cambridge.