KPSEA and KJSEA 2026 Timetable: Grade 6 and Grade 9 Dates
Kenya's Grade 6 and Grade 9 written assessments start on Monday, Oct. 26, with a rehearsal day on Friday, Oct. 23, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) says in its 2026 timetables. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) runs for three days, to Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) runs for five days, to Friday, Oct. 30.
The first session of both assessments starts at 8:30 a.m. East Africa Time. No extra time is allowed for any paper.
KPSEA 2026 timetable (Grade 6)
| Date | Papers and times |
|---|---|
| Mon. Oct. 26 | Mathematics, 8:30-9:50am English, 10:50-11:50am |
| Tue. Oct. 27 | Integrated Science, 8:30-10:10am Kiswahili, 11:10am-12:10pm |
| Wed. Oct. 28 | Creative Arts and Social Studies, 8:30-10:10am |
Learners get a 30-minute break between the two papers on the first two days. Braille and hearing-impaired versions run longer, and Kenyan Sign Language candidates sit their Kiswahili paper in the same slot, KNEC's timetable shows.
KJSEA 2026 timetable (Grade 9)
| Date | Papers and times |
|---|---|
| Mon. Oct. 26 | English Language, 8:30-10:10am English (Composition and Literary Analysis), 11:10am-12:55pm |
| Tue. Oct. 27 | Kiswahili Lugha, 8:30-10:10am Kiswahili (Insha na Utangulizi wa Fasihi), 11:10am-12:55pm |
| Wed. Oct. 28 | Mathematics, 8:30-10:30am Agriculture, 11:30am-1:10pm |
| Thu. Oct. 29 | Integrated Science Paper 1, 8:30-10:10am Social Studies, 11:10am-12:40pm Creative Arts and Sports, 2:00-3:40pm |
| Fri. Oct. 30 | Pre-Technical Studies, 8:30-10:10am Religious Education (CRE, IRE or HRE), 11:10am-12:40pm Integrated Science Paper 2, 2:00-3:00pm |
The papers above come from the KJSEA timetable, which KNEC titles "revised". Braille and hearing-impaired candidates have longer durations, and Kenyan Sign Language candidates sit their own papers on Oct. 27, in the Kiswahili slots. The KJSEA also includes work done earlier in the year: a Creative Arts and Sports project from May to July and Pre-Technical Studies and Agriculture projects in July, the timetable says.
KILEA and KPLEA, Oct. 26 to 29
Learners on the stage-based pathway take performance-based assessments in the same week. The Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) covers communication and social skills, daily living skills and religious education, sensory motor integration and creative activities, and numeracy and movement activities, one per day from Oct. 26 to 29. The Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) has four pre-vocational skills papers on the same four days. Both are whole-day tasks, with rehearsals on Oct. 23.
KNEC's rules for KPSEA and KJSEA candidates
- Be searched outside the room and seated 15 minutes before each paper.
- A candidate who arrives late must give the supervisor a satisfactory reason, and only in exceptional circumstances is a paper given to someone more than half an hour late.
- For KPSEA, write and shade your name and assessment number on the answer sheet in pencil, not fountain or biro pen. For KJSEA, write in black or blue ink and use pencil only for diagrams and for shading multiple-choice answer sheets.
- Cell phones and other electronic devices are banned in assessment centres, and a candidate found with one will have their results cancelled.
- Revealing assessment content to an unauthorised person can mean up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to KSh 2 million under the KNEC Act, KNEC's timetables say.
KCSE starts too
Form Four candidates begin their KCSE oral and practical tests on Oct. 19, with the main written papers from Nov. 2. See our page on the KCSE timetable. KNEC publishes all 2026 timetables on its timetables page.
Dates and times are from KNEC's official 2026 timetables (documents KNEC/TD/SE/KPSEA/TT/26/001 and KNEC/TD/SE/KJSEA/TT/2026/003) as checked on its website on Oct. 7, 2026. Check with your school and KNEC for any change.
