The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the schedule for the 2026 Grade 10 School-Based Assessments (SBA), and the project and practical assessment tools become available to schools on the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal from Wednesday, 2 July 2026. For the first cohort of Senior School learners, this is the moment the Grade 10 assessment cycle formally begins.
If you are a parent, teacher or Grade 10 learner, here is what the announcement actually means and what you need to do about it.
Key Takeaways
- Grade 10 project and practical assessment tools open on the KNEC CBA portal from 2 July 2026.
- All Grade 10 and vocational-level SBA scores must be uploaded to the portal by 31 October 2026.
- Grade 10 learner registration on the CBA portal closes on 30 July 2026.
- Written tests for Grade 10 are scheduled for Term 3.
- Principals access the tools with their school login, then a one-time password (OTP) sent to the registered phone number.
The key dates at a glance
| Activity | Date |
|---|---|
| Grade 10 learner registration deadline (CBA portal) | 30 July 2026 |
| Grade 10 projects and practicals open on the portal | 2 July 2026 |
| Deadline to upload Grade 10 and vocational SBA scores | 31 October 2026 |
| Grade 10 written tests | Term 3 |
Information current as of Term 2, 2026. Always confirm the live dates on the KNEC CBA portal, as KNEC can adjust the schedule.
What the Grade 10 School-Based Assessment involves
Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) model, Senior School learners are not judged by a single final exam alone. A portion of the final mark comes from School-Based Assessment, the projects, practicals and performance tasks a learner completes in school and that the teacher scores against the competencies in each learning area. Grade 10 learners take four compulsory subjects (English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics and Community Service Learning) plus three subjects from their chosen pathway. If you are still deciding on a pathway, our guide to the Grade 10 senior school pathways breaks down the STEM, Social Sciences and Arts and Sports options.
What schools and principals must do
According to KNEC, principals download the assessment tools from the CBA portal using their school credentials. Access is protected: after entering the username and password, a one-time password is sent to the school's registered mobile number, so schools should confirm that number is current before 2 July. Teachers then administer the projects and practicals, score each learner using the provided marking guides, and upload the scores on the portal before the 31 October deadline. A detailed user manual on the portal explains every step. If your teachers want a plain-language walkthrough, our step-by-step KNEC CBA portal guide for teachers covers logging in, downloading tools and uploading scores.
What parents should do now
You do not upload anything yourself, but you have a role. Confirm with your child's school that they have been registered on the CBA portal before the 30 July deadline, since an unregistered learner cannot be assessed. Ask which projects and practicals your child will sit this term so you can support preparation at home. Because the SBA marks count towards the final Grade 10 result, steady effort across the term matters far more than last-minute cramming.
Frequently asked questions
Is the School-Based Assessment the same as the end-of-term exam? No. SBA is the project and practical work scored in school across the term. Written tests are separate and sit in Term 3. Both feed the final result.
My child's school has not mentioned registration. What do I do? Contact the school immediately. The CBA portal registration deadline is 30 July 2026, and only registered learners can be assessed.
Where is the official portal? The KNEC CBA portal is at cba.knec.ac.ke. Only school administrators log in; parents do not need an account.
How can my child revise for the written tests? Practise with past and model papers by subject. Our Grade 10 exam papers are KICD-aligned and cover the compulsory and pathway subjects, and Somo, our CBC AI tutor, can answer questions any time.
The bottom line
The 2 July portal opening turns the 2026 Grade 10 assessment from a plan into a live process. Schools should confirm their registered phone number, register every learner before 30 July, and build in time to score and upload before 31 October. Parents should check their child is registered and support the project work now, while there is still term left to do it well.
According to KNEC, the schedule and instructions are published on the CBA portal at cba.knec.ac.ke; the announcement was reported by Education News Kenya.
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