8.4.4 System Comes to And End
After nearly four decades, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination, which has been a cornerstone of the country’s education system since 1985, is coming to a close. Starting on Monday, 1,415,315 students will sit for these national examinations, marking the conclusion of a competitive era for stellar grades. These three-day exams will conclude on Wednesday, November 1.
The 39th edition of the KCPE also signifies the closure of the 8-4-4 era at the primary school level, transitioning to the new 2-6-3-3-3 system under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
This year’s examinations will be administered concurrently with the new Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), which is part of the CBC and is taken in Grade 6. A total of 1,282,574 candidates will participate in the KPSEA exams this year.
Over the course of 38 years, a total of 24,906,837 candidates have undertaken the KCPE. In the new CBC system, assessment methods have changed significantly, with learners taking Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) at the end of Grades 4, 5, and 6, which will form the final mark at the end of primary school.
Unlike the KCPE, the cumulative score of the learner will not determine the secondary school they attend. Instead, it will inform education managers about the students’ academic progress in primary school.
Also Read: A Teacher Has Been Arrested While Selling KCPE/KCSE Exams
Grade 9 and Grade 12 will see additional assessments that inform the choice of senior secondary school and tertiary education, respectively. The transition to the CBC comes as a response to past incidents of cheating, which led to significant security measures, expensive overseas printing of exams, and an overall challenge to maintain exam integrity.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has assured the public of the security of these examinations, stating that all necessary measures have been taken to prevent any breaches. Multi-agency teams will be dispatched to examination centers nationwide to ensure a smooth administration of the tests.
The KCPE examination, introduced in 1985 under the 8-4-4 system, has been a crucial part of Kenya’s education landscape, marking a significant shift from the 7-4-2-3 system to the 8-4-4 structure, as recommended by the Mackay Report in 1981.
8.4.4 System Comes to And End
