The government has warned parents against buying sample examination papers sold without authorisation.
According to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), the exam papers are targeting Grade 6 students who are set to transition to Junior Secondary Schools.
KICD Chief Executive Officer, Charles Ochieng Ong’ondo, explained that fake test papers for the summative assessment, which accounts for 40 per cent of a learner’s score, have already flooded the market.
The other 60 per cent will be derived from formative assessments done in Grades 4, 5, and 6. The final score will be used in placement for Junior Secondary Schools in January 2023.
He warned that the traders are ruining the preparation for the exams scheduled for November under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
KICD added that the warning should apply to all other exam papers which are being sold in the markets without authorisation from the government.
"Because learners are going to be assessed in Grade 6, there are people selling model papers supposedly for that grade. Do not buy them, they must be approved by KICD. We want to make this assessment as natural as possible, almost like what they do in school on a day-to-day basis," Ong’ondo explained.
"Let parents expect a low stakes assessment because we already have 60 per cent of their ability through 20 marks from Grade 4, Grade 5, and Grade 6."
The Ministry of Education led by Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, has not released the guidelines to be used in the placement and transition process.
According to KNEC Chief Executive Officer, David Njegere, candidates will undergo a School-Based Assessment (SBA) test in their domicile institutions which will be marked by their teachers.
The outcome of the evaluation will then be uploaded to the portal after which they will register for the national exam.
"Learners should be registered and assigned a number by KNEC. They should have undertaken School-Based Assessment for the intermediate level and outcomes of at least one SBA uploaded on to the KNEC portal," Njegere stated.
Learners will write five papers, Mathematics and English on the first day, Integrated Science and Kiswahili on the second day, and Creative Arts and Social Studies on the third day.
