The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has set a firm KNEC SBA deadline of 31 July 2026 for the administration, scoring and upload of School-Based Assessment (SBA) project scores for Grade 3, Grade 7 and Grade 8 and for all stage-based levels. Schools must complete practical assessments, verify learner registration on the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal and upload validated scores before the portal closes to avoid penalties.
Key Takeaways
- KNEC SBA deadline: All Grade 3, 7 and 8 SBA scores must be uploaded by 31 July 2026.
- Use the official CBA portal (https://cba.knec.ac.ke) and confirm portal credentials early.
- Schools face fines of up to Sh1,000 per affected learner and institutional audits for non-compliance.
- Keep physical or digital portfolios as evidence — these are required for quality assurance checks.
KNEC SBA deadline: Blueprint of the directive
The directive is based on a KNEC circular dated 23 April 2026 (reference KNEC/GEN/TD/SE/SBA/GUI/2026/02). It instructs headteachers to plan school calendars around the SBA cycle, ensure practical projects are scored using KNEC rubrics and upload results via the official CBA portal. Schools were given access to assessment tools from 4 May 2026 and must complete uploads by the hard cutoff on 31 July 2026.
Assessment matrix and targets
The required upload covers these levels and learning areas:
- Grade 3: Integrated Learning Assessment.
- Grade 7 & 8: Agriculture, Creative Arts & Sports, Integrated Science.
- Foundation, Intermediate and Prevocational stages: Relevant stage-based practical skills including communication, daily living, movement, numeracy and prevocational tasks.
All tools were accessible from 4 May; schools must validate and enter scores by 31 July to ensure learners’ competency profiles are complete.
Portal mechanics: What schools must do now
The move from paper to the centralized digital system means school managers must treat uploads as an ICT project. Key technical steps include:
- OTP authentication: Logins require one-time passwords sent to registered school contacts.
- Decentralized access: Principals must create sub-accounts for subject teachers so each teacher uploads scores for their assigned projects.
- Learner re-registration: Confirm each learner’s assessment number and bio-data on the CBA portal before entering marks.
Attempting bulk uploads in the final 48 hours is risky because server traffic spikes; staggered, incremental uploads are recommended.
Penalties, audits and learner impact
Non-compliance carries administrative and financial consequences. KNEC has signalled:
- Financial fines: Penalties can reach Sh1,000 per affected learner for late or unverified submissions.
- Institutional audits: Schools that miss the deadline may face reviews by Sub-County Directors of Education and formal quality assurance checks.
- Effect on learners: Missing SBA scores can create gaps in competency records and affect future placement decisions.
Why School-Based Assessment matters
Beyond compliance, SBAs are central to the Competency-Based Curriculum. Practical projects assess a learner’s holistic development rather than memorised facts. Well-run SBAs build:
- Critical thinking through real-world tasks like small-scale agriculture projects.
- Psychomotor skills from hands-on activities and physical education.
- Collaboration through group projects and peer assessment.
Recommendations for school management in the final days
To meet the KNEC SBA deadline and protect learners, school leaders should take these practical steps immediately:
- Conduct an immediate data audit: Match teacher mark sheets with the registered learner list on the portal to fix omissions and spelling errors.
- Stagger uploads: Upload by class and subject as soon as scores are verified to avoid peak-time failures.
- Resolve login issues early: Use the portal’s “forgot password” tool or contact regional KNEC support without delay.
- Archive evidence: Keep student portfolios, observation logs and rubrics accessible for inspection.
- Use available CBC resources: Review sample assessments and teaching notes to ensure scoring aligns with rubrics — for example, see free CBC exam resources and CBC teaching notes. Teachers of lower grades can also consult the Grade 3 CBC exam guides for assessment examples.
Conclusion
The KNEC SBA deadline of 31 July 2026 is non-negotiable and coincides with the official close of Term 2. Schools that act early — auditing data, preparing sub-accounts, confirming learner registration and archiving evidence — will avoid fines and audits and safeguard learner competency records. Treat the upload process as an essential part of teaching and learning, not just an administrative chore.
