KNEC Releases 2025 KJSEA Results: How to Check Online and Via SMS

Over 1.1 million Grade 9 learners to receive results in new competency-based format

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) on Thursday released the 2025 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) results, marking a historic milestone in the country’s education reform journey.

KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere announced that results for 1,130,587 candidates are now available through both online and SMS platforms.

This is the first cohort to sit the assessment under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), representing a fundamental shift from the traditional examination system that has defined Kenyan education for decades.

How to Access Results

Learners, parents, and schools can check results through two methods:

Online Portal: Visit the Ministry of Education’s selection portal at https://selection.education.go.ke/my-selections and enter the learner’s assessment number. The platform displays full results, including subject scores and placement details. Users are advised to save or print result slips for future reference.

SMS Service: For those without internet access, send the learner’s assessment number to 22263. The service costs Sh30 and provides school selection details.

A New Grading System

Unlike previous examinations, candidates will not receive exact percentage scores. Instead, results are presented descriptively with quantitative points across four performance bands.

Each of the nine subjects tested carries a maximum of eight points, giving a total possible score of 72 points. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba explained that this approach aims to reduce unhealthy competition and the stigma of failure at a young age.

“The award of certificates at primary level in the 8-4-4 system resulted in undue competition and discouraged children who would be considered as having failed, yet they had not had an opportunity to explore education and find their niche to excel,” Ogamba told the Nation.

The four performance bands are:

Exceeding Expectations (75-100%): Scores of 90-100% earn eight points, while 75-89% earn seven points.

Meeting Expectations (41-74%): Candidates scoring 58-74% receive six points, while those with 41-57% get five points.

Approaching Expectations (21-40%): A score of 31-40% earns four points, while 21-30% earns three points.

Below Expectations (below 20%): Scores of 11-20% earn two points, while 10% and below receives one point.

Comprehensive Assessment

The final scores represent more than just the October-November examination period. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) at Grade 6 accounts for 20% of the final score, with another 20% from school-based assessments in Grades 7 and 8. The remaining 60% comes from the final KJSEA tests.

Njengere revealed the scale of the marking operation, noting that KNEC engaged 11,239 examiners across 21 marking centers to score structured questions, while multiple-choice questions were machine-scored at the council’s headquarters.

An additional 2,032 candidates sat a qualifying test for learners entering the country from other education systems or those who had missed earlier assessments.

No Rankings, No Certificates

In a departure from tradition, neither candidates nor schools will be ranked. Learners will receive transcripts showing performance across different learning areas without exact percentages. No certificate will be issued at the end of junior school.

The only official certificate in the CBC system will be the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE), awarded at the end of Grade 12.

Placement Process Begins

Following the results release, the Ministry of Education will begin computerized placement of learners into senior schools. Schools have been categorized into clusters based on classroom and laboratory capacity, staffing levels, and boarding facilities.

Placement will consider KJSEA performance, chosen career pathways—Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Social Sciences; or Arts/Sports—and competition for limited spaces, particularly in Cluster One (national) and Cluster Two (extra-county) schools.

Education policymaker Emmanuel Manyasa argues that the changes could reduce pressure on private schools that have capitalized on examination success to attract enrollment.

“The celebration may be long defined by performing schools and this has been their way to attract enrollment as they sell their institutions as centers of excellence to attract more enrollment,” Manyasa noted.

Mixed Reactions

While many parents have welcomed the system’s focus on reducing competition, concerns remain about career guidance and pathway selection.

Nairobi parent Maurine Achieng said counseling support will be crucial, noting that educators must guide learners differently to help them identify their strengths and interests.

Some rural schools have also expressed concerns about losing students to better-resourced institutions due to limited facilities like science laboratories and sports complexes.

However, the Ministry has pledged continued investment in infrastructure targeting all pathways to ensure equitable distribution of resources.

“The government is committed to ensuring that no region is left behind,” a Ministry official stated.

The new system’s performance-based design is intended to guide learners into the most suitable senior secondary pathways, ultimately providing more convergent entry into university and tertiary training than the previous 8-4-4 system.

Schools will begin issuing printed result slips to learners as the nation embarks on this new chapter in education reform.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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