Kwa nani? Who this is for
- Grade 6 learners sitting KPSEA 2026, and parents who want to help with Kiswahili even if their own grammar is rusty.
- KPSEA runs from Monday 26 October to Wednesday 28 October 2026. The first paper is Mathematics, and the rehearsal is on Friday 23 October. The day of the Kiswahili paper is on the official KJSEA and KPSEA 2026 calendar.
- Below are 11 maswali ya mfano na majibu. The questions are in Kiswahili, as in the exam. The notes for parents are in English.
Many parents feel they cannot help with Kiswahili because they last studied sarufi a long time ago. This page is built so that you do not need to. Your child answers the questions in Kiswahili, you mark them with the answers below, and each answer comes with a short reason so you can see which part of the language needs more practice: reading, ngeli, wingi, nyakati or methali.
These are original practice questions written by CBC Edu Kenya in the Grade 6 competency style. They are not a KNEC paper and not a leaked paper.
What the questions test
| Sehemu | Maswali | What it means in English |
|---|---|---|
| Ufahamu | 1 hadi 4 | Reading a short passage and answering about it |
| Ngeli na upatanisho | 5, 11 | Noun classes and making words agree |
| Wingi na nyakati | 6, 7, 8 | Plurals, tense and opposites |
| Methali na msamiati | 9, 10 | Proverbs and words that sound alike |
KPSEA 2026 Kiswahili: maswali ya mfano
Gredi ya 6 · Muda: dakika 25 · Jibu maswali YOTE
Soma kifungu kifuatacho kisha ujibu maswali 1 hadi 4.
Juma na dada yake Neema waliishi karibu na msitu wa Kakamega. Kila Jumamosi, walimsaidia babu yao kupanda miti katika shamba lake. Siku moja, Neema alimwuliza babu kwa nini alipenda kupanda miti. Babu alitabasamu na kusema, "Miti hutupa hewa safi, kivuli na mvua. Bila miti, mito yetu ingekauka." Tangu siku hiyo, Juma na Neema walianzisha klabu ya mazingira shuleni. Wanafunzi wengi walijiunga, na kwa mwaka mmoja walipanda miche mia tatu kuzunguka shule yao.
1. Juma na Neema walimsaidia babu yao kufanya nini kila Jumamosi?
A. Kuchota maji B. Kupanda miti C. Kuchunga ng'ombe D. Kuvuna mahindi
2. Faida ipi ya miti HAIKUTAJWA na babu?
A. Hewa safi B. Kivuli C. Mvua D. Mbao
3. Neno "miche" kama lilivyotumika katika kifungu lina maana gani?
A. Miti midogo inayopandwa B. Matunda ya miti C. Majani makavu D. Mizizi ya miti
4. Kichwa kipi kinafaa zaidi kifungu hiki?
A. Msitu wa Kakamega B. Miti ni Uhai C. Jumamosi ya Furaha D. Babu na Neema
5. Nomino "mti" iko katika ngeli gani?
A. A-WA B. KI-VI C. U-I D. LI-YA
6. Andika sentensi hii katika wingi: Mwanafunzi huyu amesoma kitabu chake.
7. Andika sentensi hii katika wakati ujao: Mama anapika chakula.
8. Andika kinyume cha sentensi hii: Mlango umefungwa.
9. Kamilisha methali hii na ueleze maana yake: Haba na haba ...
10. Chagua neno sahihi: Tulimwona ______ akiogelea mtoni.
A. pata B. bata C. bada D. pada
11. Jaza pengo kwa neno sahihi: Kikombe ______ maji ni changu.
A. wenye B. lenye C. chenye D. yenye
Simama hapa hadi muda uishe. Majibu yako hapa chini.
Majibu na maelezo (answers with notes for parents)
1. B, kupanda miti. The second sentence says it directly. This is a "find it in the passage" question, and the answer should be found in the text, not guessed.
2. D, mbao. Timber is a real use of trees, but babu did not mention it. Questions that ask what is NOT in the passage catch learners who answer from general knowledge. Teach your child to check each option against the text.
3. A, miti midogo inayopandwa. Miche are seedlings. The clue is in the sentence: they were planted (walipanda), so they cannot be fruit or dry leaves.
4. B, Miti ni Uhai. A good title covers the whole passage. A and D name only one part of it; C is not what the story is about.
5. C, U-I. We say mti umeanguka in the singular and miti imeanguka in the plural. The agreement u- and i- gives the ngeli its name. A quick test at home: put the noun in a short sentence, singular and plural, and listen to the verb.
6. Wanafunzi hawa wamesoma vitabu vyao. Every word that agrees must change: mwanafunzi to wanafunzi, huyu to hawa, amesoma to wamesoma, kitabu to vitabu, chake to vyao. Award the mark only if all five are right; "Wanafunzi hawa wamesoma vitabu chake" is a common half-done answer.
7. Mama atapika chakula. The future tense marker is -ta-. Present -na- becomes -ta-.
8. Mlango umefunguliwa. The opposite of funga (close) is fungua (open). The passive ending stays, so umefungwa becomes umefunguliwa.
9. Haba na haba hujaza kibaba. Meaning: small amounts added together become a lot. One mark for completing it and one for the meaning. In English, "little by little fills the measure".
10. B, bata. A bata is a duck. Pata means "get", and the other two are not correct words here. Pairs like p and b are called vitate, words that sound close but mean different things.
11. C, chenye. Kikombe is in the KI-VI ngeli, so -enye takes ch-: kikombe chenye maji. In the plural it becomes vikombe vyenye maji.
Reading the score
Nine or more out of 11 is a good sign. If the marks were lost on 1 to 4, practise reading a short passage aloud each evening and answering two questions about it. If they were lost on 5, 6 and 11, the gap is ngeli and agreement, which is the single most useful thing to revise in Grade 6 Kiswahili. Our guide to where the marks are in KPSEA Kiswahili explains it further.
Karatasi kamili za Kiswahili na majibu
The KPSEA Grade 6 Complete Revision Course includes full Kiswahili notes for Grades 4 to 6, predictive papers and a separate answer booklet, with the same for all five KPSEA papers. It is KSH 300, downloaded after M-Pesa payment. There is also a Kiswahili-only course if that is the one paper you are worried about.
Maswali yanayoulizwa mara kwa mara (FAQ)
When is KPSEA 2026?
Monday 26 October to Wednesday 28 October 2026, starting with Mathematics. The rehearsal is on Friday 23 October. See the official calendar for the Kiswahili day.
I do not speak much Kiswahili. Can I still help?
Yes. Use the answers above to mark, and ask your child to explain each mistake to you. Explaining it is how they learn it.
Are these the actual KPSEA questions?
No. They are original practice questions. Nobody can honestly sell the real paper before the exam.
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 23 days to the national assessments on 26 October. Start now.
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