Important
The KCPE is no longer held. The last KCPE was sat in 2023, as Kenya moved fully from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Learners now take the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) in Grade 6 and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) at the end of Grade 9, whose first results came out in December 2025.
Overview
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) was the national exam taken at the end of eight years of primary school (Standard 8) under Kenya's 8-4-4 system. It was set by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) under the Ministry of Education, and was introduced in 1985 together with the 8-4-4 system. Results were used to place pupils in Form One of secondary school.
The KNEC no longer publishes KCPE information on its site, so this page relies on news reports and other secondary sources and describes the exam as it was.
Exam pattern
The KCPE was a written exam usually held over three days around the end of October. Candidates were examined in:
| Subject | Notes |
|---|---|
| English | Two parts: grammar and composition |
| Kiswahili | Two parts: Lugha (language) and Insha (composition). Deaf or hard-of-hearing candidates could take Kenyan Sign Language instead |
| Mathematics | |
| Science | |
| Social Studies and Religious Education | Examined together |
Marking and results
Each of the five subject scores was out of 100, giving a maximum of 500 marks. In 2023, the best candidate scored 428 and 8,525 candidates scored above 400.
The final KCPE (2023)
Over 1.4 million candidates sat the 2023 KCPE.
Results were released on 23 November 2023 by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu at KNEC headquarters in Nairobi.
Form One placement began on 27 November 2023.
The Ministry said it was the last KCPE as the country fully moved to the CBC.
What replaced it
KPSEA (Kenya Primary School Education Assessment) is taken in Grade 6. About 1.2 million learners sat it in 2023. It counts for 20% of a learner's final Grade 9 outcome.
KJSEA (Kenya Junior School Education Assessment) is taken at the end of Grade 9 and counts for 60% of the final Grade 9 outcome. It grades nine subjects on competency bands rather than raw marks. The first KJSEA results were released in December 2025.
FAQs
Is the KCPE still held?
No. The 2023 KCPE was the last one. Under the Competency-Based Curriculum, learners take the KPSEA in Grade 6 and the KJSEA at the end of Grade 9.
What was the maximum KCPE score?
500 marks: five subjects, each scored out of 100.