The 2026 KNEC dates at a glance
- Rehearsal day for both exams: Friday 23 October 2026.
- KPSEA (Grade 6): Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 October 2026. First paper: Mathematics, Monday 26 October, 8.30 a.m.
- KJSEA (Grade 9): Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. First paper: 901/1 English Language, Monday 26 October, 8.30 a.m.
- SBA and project scores: KNEC's final upload deadline for schools is Wednesday 30 September 2026. The KJSEA projects were done between May and July.
- Results: KNEC has not yet published a 2026 results release date.
If you have a child in Grade 6 or Grade 9 this year, or you teach a candidate class, this is the one page to keep open for October. Below you will find the official 2026 KPSEA and KJSEA timetables from the Kenya National Examinations Council, set out day by day with every session time, followed by a countdown of what to do in each of the four weeks between today and the first paper.
Every date and time on this page comes from the two official KNEC documents: the Revised 2026 KJSEA Timetable and Instructions (reference KNEC/TD/SE/KJSEA/TT/2026/003) and the 2026 KPSEA Timetable, Instructions and Guidelines (reference KNEC/TD/SE/KPSEA/TT/26/001). Both are posted on the KNEC timetables page. We cross-checked the dates against The Star's breakdown of the 2026 timetables and Education News' coverage of the KJSEA release. If your child's school gives a local instruction that differs for a particular session, confirm it with the head teacher, but the KNEC document is the authority.
Get the full revision set before Monday 26 October: KJSEA Grade 9 course (KSH 400) or KPSEA Grade 6 course (KSH 300), instant download by M-Pesa.
The whole exam week on one calendar
Both national assessments share a rehearsal day and a start date. KPSEA candidates finish on the Wednesday; KJSEA candidates carry on to the Friday. If you have one child in each class, this is how your week looks.
KPSEA 2026 timetable (Grade 6), day by day
KPSEA is three days and five papers. Every paper is multiple choice, answered by shading on a personalised answer sheet in pencil: KNEC's instructions say plainly not to use a fountain pen or biro. Morning sessions start at 8.30 a.m. and candidates must be at the room for searching and seated 15 minutes before that.
| Day and date | Session | Paper | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 23 October | As set by the centre | Rehearsal day | None |
| Day 1: Monday 26 October | 8.30 a.m. to 9.50 a.m. | Mathematics | 1 h 20 min |
| Monday 26 October | 10.50 a.m. to 11.50 a.m. | English | 1 h |
| Day 2: Tuesday 27 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | Integrated Science | 1 h 40 min |
| Tuesday 27 October | 11.10 a.m. to 12.10 p.m. | Kiswahili (or Kenyan Sign Language) | 1 h |
| Day 3: Wednesday 28 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | Creative Arts and Social Studies | 1 h 40 min |
Large print, braille and hearing impaired papers. Large print versions keep the same times. Braille versions run longer (Mathematics 8.30 to 10.20 a.m., English 10.50 a.m. to 12.10 p.m., Integrated Science 8.30 to 10.40 a.m., Kiswahili 11.10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., Creative Arts and Social Studies 8.30 to 10.40 a.m.), and the hearing impaired English paper runs 10.50 a.m. to 12.10 p.m. The breaks shift to fit, so the second paper still starts at 10.50 a.m. on Monday and 11.10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Two things parents often miss. First, Tuesday is the long day: Integrated Science is the longest KPSEA paper at 100 minutes, and Kiswahili follows after the break, so breakfast matters more on Tuesday than on any other morning. Our guide to what to expect in KPSEA Integrated Science walks through it. Second, Wednesday ends by 10.10 a.m., so plan how your child gets home or what they do for the rest of the day.
KJSEA 2026 timetable (Grade 9), day by day
KJSEA is the revised five-day timetable: twelve written papers from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, all first sessions at 8.30 a.m. The three projects (911/1 Creative Arts and Sports, 912/2 Pre-Technical Studies and 906/2 Agriculture) were assessed at school between May and July, so they are finished. Written papers are answered in the booklet in blue or black ink.
| Day and date | Session | Code | Paper | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May to July 2026 | At school | 911/1, 912/2, 906/2 | Projects (done) | 1 to 3 months |
| Friday 23 October | As set by the centre | None | Rehearsal day | None |
| Day 1: Monday 26 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | 901/1 | English Language | 1 h 40 min |
| Monday 26 October | 11.10 a.m. to 12.55 p.m. | 901/2 | English (Composition and Literary Analysis) | 1 h 45 min |
| Day 2: Tuesday 27 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | 902/1 (904/1 KSL) | Kiswahili Lugha (or Kenyan Sign Language) | 1 h 40 min |
| Tuesday 27 October | 11.10 a.m. to 12.55 p.m. | 902/2 (904/2 KSL) | Kiswahili (Insha na Utangulizi wa Fasihi) | 1 h 45 min (KSL 1 h 40 min) |
| Day 3: Wednesday 28 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. | 903 | Mathematics | 2 h |
| Wednesday 28 October | 11.30 a.m. to 1.10 p.m. | 906/1 | Agriculture (written) | 1 h 40 min |
| Day 4: Thursday 29 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | 905/1 | Integrated Science Paper 1 | 1 h 40 min |
| Thursday 29 October | 11.10 a.m. to 12.40 p.m. | 907 | Social Studies | 1 h 30 min |
| Thursday 29 October | 2.00 p.m. to 3.40 p.m. | 911/2 | Creative Arts and Sports (written) | 1 h 40 min |
| Day 5: Friday 30 October | 8.30 a.m. to 10.10 a.m. | 912/1 | Pre-Technical Studies (written) | 1 h 40 min |
| Friday 30 October | 11.10 a.m. to 12.40 p.m. | 908 / 909 / 910 | CRE / IRE / HRE | 1 h 30 min |
| Friday 30 October | 2.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m. | 905/2 | Integrated Science Paper 2 (practical-based) | 1 h |
Braille and hearing impaired papers have longer times printed on the KNEC timetable (for example Mathematics braille runs 8.30 to 11.00 a.m. and English Language hearing impaired runs 8.30 to 10.20 a.m.), with the breaks adjusted so the next session still starts on time. Schools with these candidates have the full list.
Thursday is the heaviest KJSEA day, with three papers and 4 hours 50 minutes of writing, and Thursday and Friday are the only days with a 2.00 p.m. paper, so pack lunch for both. For what to reread the night before each of these twelve papers, and the trap in each one, see our KJSEA 2026 timetable, paper by paper.
Other official dates that affect your candidate
| What | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| SBA verification on the KNEC CBA portal | By 30 July 2026 | Passed |
| Final deadline for schools to upload KPSEA and KJSEA SBA and project scores | Wednesday 30 September 2026 | KNEC extension notice; absent candidates marked "AB" |
| KJSEA projects (911/1, 912/2, 906/2) | May to July 2026 | Done |
| Rehearsal day, both exams | Friday 23 October 2026 | Official |
| KPSEA and KJSEA results | Not announced | KNEC has not yet published a 2026 release date |
The SBA deadline is the one to act on this week. School-based assessment and project scores count towards your child's final KJSEA and KPSEA outcome, and KNEC has said 30 September is the final date under this extension. If you are not sure your child's scores are in, ask the class teacher or head teacher today. Our earlier explainer on verifying your child's SBA scores explains what the school sees on the portal.
On results, we will not guess. KNEC has not announced when the 2026 results will be released, and any date you see forwarded on WhatsApp is speculation until KNEC says it. We will update this page when it does. Meanwhile, what happens after the last paper covers the steps that follow.
Watch: the two-minute revision plan
The countdown: what to do in the weeks before
From today, Tuesday 29 September, there are four weeks to the first paper. That is enough time to make a real difference, provided the time is used on practice under exam conditions rather than rereading notes. Here is the plan, week by week, tied to the dates above.
| Week | Grade 6 (KPSEA) | Grade 9 (KJSEA) |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep to 2 Oct 4 weeks out | Confirm SBA scores are uploaded before 30 September. Sit one full paper per subject under timed conditions to find the weakest area. | Confirm SBA and project scores are uploaded before 30 September. Sit one timed paper in each of English, Kiswahili and Mathematics. |
| 5 to 9 Oct 3 weeks out | Work on the two weakest papers. Practise shading answers in pencil on a mock answer sheet so it is automatic. | Timed papers for Integrated Science, Social Studies, Agriculture and Pre-Technical. Mark each one with the answer booklet the same day. |
| 12 to 16 Oct 2 weeks out | Second full set of papers in timetable order: Mathematics then English, Integrated Science then Kiswahili, then Creative Arts and Social Studies. | Second set of papers in timetable order, two or three a day, keeping to the real session lengths. Write one composition and one insha against the clock. |
| 19 to 23 Oct Final week | Tuesday 20 October is Mashujaa Day, a public holiday: a light review day. No new work after Wednesday. Rehearsal on Friday 23 October: note the room and seat. | Review corrections only; no new sub-strands. Test the calculator and geometry set. Rehearsal on Friday 23 October: note the room, the seat and the reporting time. |
| 24 and 25 Oct Weekend | Pack two sharpened pencils, a rubber and a sharpener. Early night on Sunday. | Pack pens, pencils, ruler and mathematical set. Early night on Sunday; content not known by now will not be learnt by Monday. |
If you want the week-by-week plan in more detail, the KPSEA final weeks plan for Grade 6 and the KJSEA final weeks plan for Grade 9 break each week into daily sessions. The revision timetable that survives a bad week is worth reading if the plan has already slipped.
Why timed papers matter more than extra notes now
KNEC is explicit that no extra time is allowed: the time printed on the question paper is final, and reading time is part of it. Candidates who have only ever revised from notes tend to run out of time on the long papers, which is where marks they already knew how to earn are lost. Sitting two or three full papers per subject in the real session lengths, and then marking them honestly, fixes pacing in a way that rereading never does.
That is what our 2026 courses are built for. The KJSEA Complete Course covers all nine Grade 9 learning areas with full notes, predictive papers in the KNEC paper codes and timings above, and a separate answer booklet, for KSH 400. The KPSEA Complete Course does the same for all five Grade 6 papers for KSH 300. Both download instantly after M-Pesa payment. Be wary of anyone selling "leaked" 2026 papers: our note on leaked paper scams explains why they are always fake and what real practice papers look like.
Exam day rules parents and teachers should know
| Rule (from the KNEC instructions) | What it means at home |
|---|---|
| Be searched and seated 15 minutes before the paper; morning sessions start at 8.30 a.m. | Seated by 8.15 a.m. every morning. Leave home with time to spare. |
| A candidate more than half an hour late gets a paper only in exceptional circumstances. | Lateness can cost a whole paper, not just minutes. |
| No extra time is allowed. | Practise with a clock, not open-ended. |
| Mobile phones and electronic devices are prohibited; a candidate found with one has results cancelled. | Leave phones and smart watches at home. |
| An irregularity in any paper cancels the result for the whole subject. | No notes in pockets, no passing anything between candidates. |
| KPSEA: shade name, assessment number and answers in pencil. | Two sharpened pencils and a clean rubber in the bag. |
Our checklist of what to carry in exam week and what will be taken off your child at the door covers the bag in detail.
For teachers: using this calendar with a candidate class
Print the two timetables above and pin them in the classroom from this week, so candidates stop asking which paper comes first. Run your remaining mocks in the real order and the real session lengths: for Grade 9, English Language at 8.30 then Composition at 11.10; for Grade 6, Mathematics at 8.30 then English at 10.50. Use the rehearsal on 23 October to settle seating, the sharing of mathematical sets, and which candidates sit braille, large print or hearing impaired papers, because those run to different finishing times. And please confirm with your head teacher today that every candidate's SBA and project scores are on the CBA portal before the 30 September deadline, with "AB" entered for any candidate who was absent.
Frequently asked questions
When does KPSEA 2026 start?
KPSEA 2026 starts on Monday 26 October 2026 with Mathematics at 8.30 a.m. and ends on Wednesday 28 October with Creative Arts and Social Studies. The rehearsal is on Friday 23 October.
When does KJSEA 2026 start and end?
KJSEA 2026 starts on Monday 26 October 2026 with 901/1 English Language at 8.30 a.m. and ends on Friday 30 October with 905/2 Integrated Science Paper 2 at 2.00 p.m. The rehearsal is on Friday 23 October.
Does KJSEA still run to 20 November?
No. An early notice gave a longer window, but the revised KNEC timetable finishes KJSEA on Friday 30 October 2026. The date that does run to 20 November is KCSE, which is a different exam for Form 4 candidates.
When will KJSEA and KPSEA 2026 results be released?
KNEC has not yet announced a 2026 results date. We will update this page as soon as it does.
Where is the official timetable?
On the KNEC timetables page. Schools also receive printed copies with the full instructions.
In summary
Both national assessments open on Monday 26 October 2026 after a shared rehearsal on Friday 23 October. KPSEA runs three days to Wednesday 28 October; KJSEA runs five days to Friday 30 October. The SBA and project score upload closes on Wednesday 30 September, and KNEC has not yet set a results date. Four weeks is enough time to sit two full sets of papers in the real order and timings, which is the single most useful thing a candidate can do now.
Get the full revision set before Monday 26 October: KJSEA Complete Course or KPSEA Complete Course.
Further reading
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 25 days to the national assessments on 26 October. Start now.
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