KNEC Grade 10 Assessment 2026: Guidelines, Timelines & School Requirements
Parents, teachers and schools preparing for the new Senior School system now have a clearer picture of how the 2026 Grade 10 School-Based Assessment (SBA) will be conducted.
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the latest guidelines and schedule for the Grade 10 written tests, setting October 5, 2026, as the date when schools will access the assessment tools. Schools will then have until October 23, 2026, to administer the tests, score learners and upload the results.
The update comes as schools settle into the third term and prepare learners for assessments under the Competency-Based Curriculum. KNEC has published the information on its official website, alongside other circulars and guidelines for the 2026 assessment cycle.
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The Grade 10 assessment is particularly important because it forms part of the broader Senior School assessment structure. Parents therefore need to understand that the assessment is not simply another school examination, but part of a national process being coordinated by KNEC.
Teachers also have a responsibility to familiarise themselves with the assessment tools, scoring requirements and timelines before the tests begin.
Grade 10 SBA 2026 timetable and key dates
KNEC has set October 5, 2026, as the date when the Grade 10 written assessment tools will become available to schools.
The deadline for completing the assessment process is October 23, 2026. By that date, schools are expected to have administered the assessments, scored the learners and uploaded the required results through the KNEC system.
| Assessment category | Tools available | Deadline for uploading scores |
|---|---|---|
| STEM | October 5, 2026 | October 23, 2026 |
| Social Sciences | October 5, 2026 | October 23, 2026 |
| Arts and Sports | October 5, 2026 | October 23, 2026 |
The timelines give schools a relatively short period to move from accessing the assessment materials to completing administration and submitting results.
Principals and subject teachers should therefore avoid waiting until the final days before beginning the process.
Subjects covered under Grade 10 assessment
The 2026 Grade 10 written SBA will cover learning areas across the three broad Senior School categories.
The STEM category includes Core Mathematics, Essential Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Studies, Home Science, Agriculture and Electricity.
The Social Sciences category covers Christian Religious Education (CRE), Hindu Religious Education (HRE), Islamic Religious Education (IRE), Business Studies, History and Citizenship, and Geography.
The Arts and Sports category includes Sports and Recreation as well as Music and Dance.
This structure reflects the different learning pathways available to learners in Senior School and means schools need to pay attention to the subjects registered by their Grade 10 learners.
Parents who want to know what their children will be assessed on should first confirm the subjects selected by the learner and the pathway under which those subjects fall.
How schools will access KNEC Grade 10 assessment tools
KNEC will provide the Grade 10 written assessment materials through the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) Portal.
School principals will be responsible for logging into the portal using the credentials assigned to their institutions. A one-time password (OTP) will be sent to the registered phone number to facilitate access.
Schools experiencing password problems can use the “forgot password” option to reset their credentials.
KNEC has also provided a user manual on the portal to guide schools through the process of accessing the tools, administering the assessments, scoring learners and uploading results.
The arrangement places a significant administrative responsibility on school heads. Principals need to ensure the correct teachers are involved and that the assessment process follows the national instructions.
What teachers are expected to do
Subject teachers will play a central role once the assessment tools are downloaded.
Teachers will administer the tests, assess learners and ensure scores are captured correctly before submission. KNEC has emphasised that schools must follow the prescribed assessment procedures and timelines.
Teachers are also expected to maintain records and evidence generated during the assessment process. Such records can be important when schools need to verify how an assessment was conducted or clarify issues surrounding uploaded scores.
The earlier KNEC Grade 10 SBA guidelines for projects and practicals similarly required teachers to use the provided scoring guides and rubrics, while principals were tasked with downloading assessment materials and ensuring scores were uploaded within the stipulated period.
That emphasis on accurate scoring is important under the competency-based assessment system because the focus is not only on a learner’s ability to reproduce information but also on demonstrating competencies.
School requirements before the assessment
Schools should begin preparations before October rather than waiting for the assessment tools to appear on the portal.
Principals need to confirm that their KNEC login credentials are working and that the phone number registered with the council is accessible for OTP verification.
Teachers should also familiarise themselves with the relevant assessment instructions and scoring requirements.
KNEC has previously directed schools administering SBA projects and practicals to use locally available or improvised materials whenever possible.
Assessment materials containing colour images also require attention. Schools have previously been instructed to print such materials in colour or load them onto available digital devices.
Proper record-keeping is another important requirement. Schools should retain assessment records and evidence generated during the process rather than treating the upload of scores as the end of their responsibility.
What parents and learners should know
Parents do not need to access the KNEC portal themselves to sit the Grade 10 assessment. The process is administered through schools, with principals and teachers handling the official assessment materials and submission of results.
Learners, however, should take the assessments seriously because the SBA forms part of their broader Senior School assessment journey.
Parents can help by confirming that learners attend school consistently, have the required learning materials and understand the subjects they are taking.
The release of the timetable also gives families an opportunity to start planning early. Waiting until October to ask questions about subjects, assessment requirements or school preparations could create unnecessary pressure.
KNEC Grade 10 assessment dates at a glance
The most important dates released by KNEC are straightforward.
October 5, 2026: Grade 10 written SBA assessment tools become accessible to schools.
October 5–23, 2026: Schools administer and score the assessments.
October 23, 2026: Deadline for schools to upload Grade 10 SBA scores.
KNEC has also published separate guidelines for other grades and assessment programmes, showing that the council is running several SBA activities during the third term.
The council’s official website remains the safest place for schools to confirm any subsequent changes to the timetable, instructions or assessment documents.
