CBC Edu KenyaEducation Data • Kenya

KJSEA 2026 Senior School Placement: The Data

How Kenya's first Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) cohort was placed across the three senior school pathways, in numbers and charts you are free to cite and embed.

Data current as of June 2026. Figures are reported KNEC placement numbers from the first cohort; confirm current-cycle figures with KNEC.

Key statistics

1.13Mcandidates sat the first KJSEA
51%placed in STEM
38%placed in Social Sciences
11%placed in Arts & Sports
88%placed per their own selection
60/40KJSEA vs SBA + KPSEA weighting
Note: placement is decided by KNEC by combining the KJSEA assessment (about 60%) with school-based assessment and earlier records (about 40%), converted to standard scores. These are reported figures, not an official statistical release.

Chart 1: Placement share by pathway

Senior school placement share by pathway (first KJSEA cohort) STEM51% Social Sciences38% Arts & Sports11% Source: CBC Edu Kenya, from reported KNEC figures (cbcedukenya.com)

Chart 2: Learners per pathway (approximate)

Learners per pathway, thousands (first KJSEA cohort) STEM~600 Social Sciences437 Arts & Sports124 Source: CBC Edu Kenya, from reported KNEC figures (cbcedukenya.com)

Pathway thresholds and the placement formula

ItemReported figure
KJSEA weighting~60% of placement score
SBA + KPSEA weighting~40% of placement score
STEM minimum standard score~20
Social Sciences minimum~25
Arts & Sports minimum~25
School selection12 schools (9 boarding, 3 day)
Placed per own selection~88%

Embed these charts on your site

Free to use with attribution. Copy the snippet to embed the placement-share chart with a link back:

How to cite: CBC Edu Kenya (2026). KJSEA 2026 Senior School Placement: The Data. Retrieved from https://cbcedukenya.com/kjsea-placement-data-2026.html

What this means for parents

The data shows STEM is by far the most competitive pathway, taking roughly half of all placements, while Arts and Sports remains wide open. Because school-based assessment carries around 40% of the placement score, the work a learner does through Grade 9 genuinely shapes the outcome. For the full explanation, see our KJSEA grading and placement guide and our subject combinations guide, or try the free KJSEA Pathway Checker.

Methodology & sources

Figures are compiled from reported KNEC senior school placement numbers for Kenya's first KJSEA cohort (results released December 2025; Grade 10 reporting January 2026). Percentages are rounded. Pathway thresholds and the 60/40 weighting are as reported in the Kenyan press and education briefings; KNEC sets exact thresholds each cycle. Always confirm current figures with the Kenya National Examinations Council (knec.ac.ke) and the Ministry of Education.