The Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has added four more days for schools to complete uploading learners School Based Assessment (SBA) scores.
Initially Knec had set 23rd October 2025 as last date for schools to submit learners scores in its Competency Based Assessment (CBA) online portal.
However the exercise was marred with myriad of challenges making schools unable to beat the dateline.
Schools complained of slow Knec servers. Some claimed that they were unable to access the CBA platform.
This has been happening with Knec servers in previous similar exercise. The servers are only designed to accommodate a small number of users at a particular time.
The servers experience system overload when too many users create more requests than the server can process.
This result in pages loading very slowly, or some users can’t log in at all hence slow performance.
Knec had released 2025 term three School Based Assessments for primary and junior schools.
Knec availed the SBA written tests on 29th September for schools to access and administer to learners.
The Council directed schools to download, administer, score and upload the assessment scores into the Knec portal by 23rd October 2025.
However after extension now schools have till 31st October to ensure each learner assessment score is submitted to the online platform.
Each year the learners do SBA practicals and projects in second term and then SBA writing tests in third term.
Grades 6 and Grade 9 are usually excluded so that they can focus on their final KPSEA and KJSEA respectively.
In these assessments Grade 3 learners had two learning areas with writing tests i.e Mathematics and English.
Grade 4 and 5 learners had assessments in Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Kenyan Sign Language, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Social Studies, Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE) and Creative Arts.
Grade 7 and 8 learners had assessments in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Kenyan Sign Language, Integrated Science, Agriculture, Social Studies, Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE), Creative Arts and Sports and Pre-Technical Studies.
The SBA projects and practicals as well as the written tests in Grades 7 contribute 10% while that for Grade 8 contribute 10% both making a total of 20% in final Grade 9 KJSEA.
Below is a circular that was released by Knec to guide the third term SBA written tests.
REF: KNEC/GEN/TD/CIR/CBA/2025/004
22nd August 2025
To: All
(i) Sub County Directors of Education
(ii) Heads of Primary Schools
RE: ADMINISTRATION OF THE YEAR 2025 SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENTS- WRITTEN TESTS & PERFORMANCE TASKS
1.0 The Kenya National Examinations Council will upload on the KNEC CBA Portal the following:
1.1 Kenya Early Years Assessment (KEYA) tools for Grade 3
1.2 Kenya Foundation Level Education Assessment (KFLEA) tools for Stagebased pathway
1.3 School Based Assessment tools for Grades 4,5,7 & 8.
2.0 To access the assessment portal, Headteachers are required to login onto the CBA portal: https://cba.knec.ac.ke.
Any school that will have password challenges should contact their respective Sub-County Director of Education for resetting of the password.
3.0 Schools will be expected to administer the assessment tools, score and upload the assessment outcomes of all learners on the CBA portal within the stipulated time.
4.0 A detailed user manual describing step by step on how to access the tools, instructions, scoring guides and how to upload learners’ scores is available on the CBA portal.
5.0 The assessment tools with colour images should be printed in colour or loaded on the digital devices available in the school.
6.0 Headteachers are requested to keep all records and evidence generated from the assessments.
7.0 The tools will be accessed as shown below:
| Tools | Date to be accessed | Date to be uploaded | |
| Grade 3 Written tests | i)Mathematics ii)English | 29th September 2025 | 23rd October 2025 |
| SNE Foundation Level (Performance Tasks) | i)Activities of Daily Living ii)Communication, Social and Pre-Literacy Skills | 29th September 2025 | 23rd October 2025 |
| Grade 4 Grade 5 Written tests | i)Mathematics ii)English iii)Kiswahili iv)Kenyan Sign Language v)Agriculture vi)Science & Technology vii)Social Studies viii)Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE) ix)Creative Arts | 29th September 2025 | 23rd October 2025 |
| Grade 7 Grade 8 Written tests | i)English ii)Kiswahili iii)Mathematics iv)Kenyan Sign Language v)Integrated Science vi)Agriculture vii)Social Studies viii)Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE) ix)Creative Arts and Sports x)Pre-Technical Studies | 29th September 2025 | 23rd October 2025 |
This information is issued to facilitate adequate preparation and proper planning
Dr. David Njengere, MBS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
cc:
- Director, Quality Assurance and Standards, MOE
- All Regional Directors of Education
- All County Directors of Education