KPSEA written papers run 26 to 28 October 2026, with the first session at 8.30am. The rehearsal is on Friday 23 October, the same day schools close for the term. Counting from today, Thursday 8 October, a Grade 6 learner has 18 days.
That is not long, but it is enough to do something useful with every paper. The aim of this plan is modest and realistic: go through each paper once properly, practise each one under time, fix the mistakes that keep coming back, and arrive on Monday 26 October rested rather than exhausted.
How the plan works
KPSEA has five papers: English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Science and Technology (Integrated Science), and Social Studies and Creative Arts with Religious Education. Each paper gets two kinds of day in this plan.
- A topic day, where the child works through the areas they are weakest in, using notes and short questions rather than full papers.
- A paper day, where they sit one full practice paper under time, and then go through the marked paper with you the same evening.
School days are short sessions of about 45 minutes in the evening. Weekends carry the longer sessions. Two days have no revision at all. That is deliberate, and it is the part parents are most tempted to drop.
The 18 day plan, 8 to 25 October
| Date | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 8 Oct | Mathematics, topic day | List the three topics they find hardest. Work ten short questions on the first one |
| Fri 9 Oct | English, topic day | Grammar and comprehension. One passage, answers checked together |
| Sat 10 Oct | Mathematics, paper day | Full practice paper under time in the morning. Mark it and go through every wrong answer |
| Sun 11 Oct | Rest | No revision. Church, family, outdoors, early night |
| Mon 12 Oct | Kiswahili, topic day | Sarufi and msamiati. Short exercises, not a full paper |
| Tue 13 Oct | Science and Technology, topic day | Pick two weak areas. Read the notes, then answer questions with the book closed |
| Wed 14 Oct | Social Studies and Creative Arts with RE, topic day | Maps, citizenship and the RE option they sit. Short questions only |
| Thu 15 Oct | Mathematics, topic day | Return to the mistakes from Saturday. Rework them without looking |
| Fri 16 Oct | English, topic day | Composition practice if their school sits it, otherwise a second comprehension |
| Sat 17 Oct | English and Kiswahili, paper days | English paper in the morning, Kiswahili after lunch. Mark both together |
| Sun 18 Oct | Science and Technology, paper day | One full paper under time, then a short review. Afternoon free |
| Mon 19 Oct | Social Studies and Creative Arts with RE, paper day | Full paper under time. Go through every wrong answer |
| Tue 20 Oct | Light day | Mashujaa Day. Twenty minutes on a mistake list at most |
| Wed 21 Oct | Mixed review | The mistake list from every paper. Rework each question once |
| Thu 22 Oct | Mathematics, short drill | Twenty quick questions, timed. Stop on a good note |
| Fri 23 Oct | Rehearsal day | School rehearsal and closing day. No revision at home. Check the assessment number |
| Sat 24 Oct | Light review | One hour at most. Read the mistake lists, nothing new |
| Sun 25 Oct | Rest | Pack the bag, early dinner, early bed |
Mathematics appears more often than any other paper on purpose. It is the paper where steady practice shows most clearly, and the one where a tired child loses the most marks to small slips.
The mistake list is the whole plan
Every time your child marks a paper, they write each wrong answer on a single sheet for that subject: the question, the right answer, and one line on why they got it wrong. Five sheets, one per paper.
By 21 October those five sheets are the best revision material in the house. They are short, they are personal, and they contain exactly the errors your child is likely to make again. Rereading them on the last weekend is worth far more than starting a new topic.
If you are not sure how to mark a practice paper fairly at home, our guide on marking your child's past paper at home walks through it.
What to do if a day goes wrong
A day will go wrong. Someone will be ill, there will be a funeral, or the child will simply come home too tired to think. Do not try to do two days in one. Skip the topic day, keep the paper days, and carry on from the next line of the table.
The paper days matter more than the topic days because they build the habit of working for the full time without stopping. If you must drop something, drop a topic day.
The rehearsal and the last weekend
Friday 23 October is the rehearsal. Your child will be shown the room, the seating and the routine. It is also closing day, so they will come home with books and possibly a report. Leave the report for another week. That evening is not for revision.
Saturday 24 is a short look at the mistake lists and nothing else. Sunday 25 is for packing the bag, sharpening pencils and an early night. Our KPSEA timetable, paper by paper shows which papers fall on which morning, so you can put the right revision sheet on top for each day.
Keep it calm
The 1,380,463 learners registered for KPSEA this year are all sitting the same papers on the same mornings. Your child is not behind because a neighbour's child is doing more hours. Short, steady sessions with real marking beat long anxious ones every time.
KPSEA is also only part of the picture. School Based Assessment from Grades 4 and 5 already counts, so these papers are the last piece, not the whole result. Saying that out loud to a nervous child does more than another evening of revision.
Frequently asked questions
Is 18 days really enough time to revise for KPSEA?
Yes, for consolidation. It is not enough to learn a whole year again, and this plan does not try. It focuses on weak areas, timed practice and correcting repeat mistakes, which is where most marks are gained late on.
Should my child revise on the rest days if they want to?
A short read of the mistake list is fine if they ask. Do not turn a rest day into a full session. Children who rest properly in the final week concentrate better on the mornings that count.
Where do I get full practice papers for the paper days?
Use papers in the KPSEA format so the timing and question style match. The predictive papers in our bundle are written for that format and come with answers for marking at home.
What if my child panics during a practice paper?
Stop the clock, let them breathe, and ask them to move to a question they can do. Teaching them to skip and return is a real exam skill. Finish the paper the next day if needed.
For all five papers in one place, with practice papers and answers for every paper day in this plan, see the KPSEA Complete Bundle for Grades 4 to 6.
Grade 6 KPSEA Complete Revision Course
All 5 subjects with notes, worked examples, questions and marking schemes. Rebuilt for the 26 to 28 October assessment.
⏳ Only 18 days to the national assessments on 26 October. Start now.
KSH 300 · Get it now → 📱 M-Pesa, sent to your email after payment · join parents preparing nowHave a CBC question this article didn't answer?
Ask Somo, Kenya's first AI tutor. CBC-grounded, Kenyan examples, instant feedback. Five free questions a day with no signup, or start a 7-day free trial for 30 questions a day.
Try Somo Free →