Who this is for
- Grade 9 candidates sitting KJSEA 2026, and the parents helping them revise at home.
- KJSEA runs from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026, with the rehearsal on Friday 23 October. Check the exact day of the Pre-Technical Studies paper on the official KJSEA and KPSEA 2026 calendar.
- Below are 10 original Pre-Technical Studies questions with worked answers. Allow about 35 minutes, then mark together.
Pre-Technical Studies is the learning area many families leave until last, because it feels practical and hard to revise from a book. In fact a written paper rewards a small set of skills that can be practised at a table: reading safety signs, working with a scale, knowing which tool does which job, telling materials apart, and doing simple business arithmetic. A candidate who is secure in those five areas walks in with most of the paper already within reach.
These are practice questions written by CBC Edu Kenya in the competency style of the Grade 7 to 9 design. They are not a KNEC paper and not a leaked paper.
What this set covers
| Strand area | Questions | Skill being tested |
|---|---|---|
| Safety in the workshop | 1, 2 | Reading signs, responding to an injury |
| Communication (drawing) | 3, 4, 5 | Scale, isometric and orthographic views |
| Materials for production | 6, 7, 8 | Wood, metals and plastics |
| Tools and production | 9 | Choosing the right tool for a task |
| Entrepreneurship | 10 | Costs, income and profit |
KJSEA 2026 Pre-Technical Studies sample questions
Grade 9 Pre-Technical Studies practice · about 35 minutes · answer all questions
1. A sign in the school workshop is a blue circle with a white picture of goggles. What does it tell a learner?
A. Goggles are not allowed B. Goggles must be worn C. Goggles are sold here D. Danger of flying objects
2. Wanjiru gets a small cut on her finger while using a chisel. List, in order, three things that should be done. (3 marks)
3. A Grade 9 learner draws a plan of a store using a scale of 1:50. The length of one wall on the drawing is 12 cm. What is the real length of the wall in metres? (2 marks)
4. In an isometric drawing, the receding lines are drawn at what angle to the horizontal?
A. 45° B. 60° C. 30° D. 90°
5. In first angle orthographic projection, where is the plan placed in relation to the front elevation? (1 mark)
6. Which of these is a softwood commonly grown in Kenya?
A. Mvule B. Mahogany C. Cypress D. Teak
7. A metal gate in Kisumu has turned reddish-brown and flaky. (a) Is the gate made of a ferrous or a non-ferrous metal? Give a reason. (b) State one way of preventing this. (3 marks)
8. Explain why electrical sockets are made from a thermosetting plastic and not a thermoplastic. (2 marks)
9. Match each task to the most suitable tool: (a) cutting a curved shape in thin plywood, (b) checking that two edges meet at 90°, (c) holding two glued pieces of wood tightly while the glue dries. (3 marks)
10. A Grade 9 club makes 20 wooden key holders. Wood and glue cost KSH 400 and transport to the market costs KSH 100. Each key holder sells for KSH 40. (a) Calculate the total income. (b) Calculate the profit. (c) Give one way the club could increase its profit. (4 marks)
Stop here until the time is up. The worked answers start below.
Worked answers
1. B, goggles must be worn. Blue circles are mandatory signs: they tell you what you must do. A red circle with a line through it means something is not allowed, and a yellow triangle warns of a hazard. Learners often confuse D with B because both mention eyes.
2. One mark for each step in a sensible order: stop work and tell the teacher; wash the cut with clean running water; press on it with a clean cloth to stop the bleeding, then cover it with a clean dressing or plaster. A candidate who writes "put on a plaster" only gets one mark, because the question asks for three things.
3. 6 metres. At 1:50, 1 cm on the drawing is 50 cm in real life. 12 × 50 = 600 cm (1 mark). 600 cm ÷ 100 = 6 m (1 mark). The unit is part of the answer.
4. C, 30°. Isometric drawing uses vertical lines and two sets of lines at 30° to the horizontal. 45° is used in oblique drawing, which is the usual wrong answer.
5. Below the front elevation. In first angle projection the plan goes directly below the front elevation, and the view from the left is drawn on the right-hand side. Third angle reverses this, which is why the question names the method.
6. C, cypress. Softwoods come from cone-bearing trees such as cypress and pine. Mvule, mahogany and teak are hardwoods from broad-leaved trees.
7. (a) Ferrous (1 mark), because it has rusted, and rusting happens to metals that contain iron (1 mark). (b) Any one for 1 mark: painting it, oiling or greasing it, or galvanising it (coating with zinc).
8. A thermosetting plastic does not soften when it gets hot (1 mark), so a socket keeps its shape if the wiring warms up, and it is a good electrical insulator (1 mark). A thermoplastic softens on heating and could melt and expose live parts.
9. (a) Coping saw. (b) Try square. (c) G-clamp (a sash clamp is also accepted). One mark each.
10. (a) Income = 20 × 40 = KSH 800 (1 mark). (b) Total cost = 400 + 100 = KSH 500 (1 mark). Profit = 800 − 500 = KSH 300 (1 mark). (c) Any one sensible way: buy wood in bulk at a lower price, share transport with another club, sell at a busier market, or add a design that customers pay more for (1 mark).
Reading the score
The set is worth 20 marks. Above 16 is a strong position: move on to full-length papers under time. Between 10 and 15, look at which strand lost the marks. If it is Questions 3 to 5, the gap is drawing method, and twenty minutes a day with a ruler and squared paper fixes most of it. If it is Questions 2, 7, 8 and 10, the candidate probably knows the ideas but writes too few points; a three-mark question needs three separate points. Our guide to what KJSEA Pre-Technical Studies assesses sets out the strands in more detail.
Full Pre-Technical Studies papers with answers
The KJSEA Grade 9 Complete Revision Course includes full Pre-Technical Studies notes for Grades 7 to 9, predictive papers in the KNEC format and a separate answer booklet, together with the same for all nine KJSEA learning areas. It is KSH 400, downloaded straight after M-Pesa payment. If you only need this one learning area, there is also a Pre-Technical Studies course on its own.
Frequently asked questions
When is KJSEA 2026?
KJSEA runs from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026. The first paper is English. The rehearsal is on Friday 23 October. The full paper-by-paper order is on the official calendar page.
Are these the questions that will come in KJSEA?
No. Nobody can honestly promise that, and anyone selling "the real paper" is running a scam. These are original questions in the same style, to find gaps before the exam.
What should my child carry for Pre-Technical Studies?
Two sharpened HB pencils, an eraser, a ruler and a pen. A drawing question cannot be answered well with a blunt pencil and no ruler.
Grade 9 KJSEA Complete Revision Course
All 9 learning areas in one download: notes, worked examples, topical questions and full marking schemes. Rebuilt for the 26 to 30 October assessment.
⏳ Only 23 days to the national assessments on 26 October. Start now.
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