Registration for the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Pre‑vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) runs from 2 March to 31 March 2026. This article summarises what heads of institutions, Sub‑County Directors of Education and parents must know to complete accurate KJSEA registration and KPLEA registration using the KNEC CBA portal.
Key Takeaways
- Registration period: 2 March – 31 March 2026; portal closes on 31 March.
- The Government pays fees for Kenyan candidates; non‑citizens must pay KES 4,500 via eCitizen.
- Grade 9 learners must be registered afresh through the KJSEA portal; SBA scores for Grades 7 and 8 must be uploaded.
- Heads of Institutions are responsible for data accuracy, safeguarding passwords/OTPs, and obtaining parent consent under the Data Protection Act.
KJSEA registration: who, when and where
All learners in Grade 9 who will sit the 2026 KJSEA must be registered anew on the KNEC CBA registration portal (cba.knec.ac.ke) between 2 March and 31 March 2026. Learners will not be auto‑uploaded from the Grade 9 portal — each candidate must be entered and verified by the Head of Institution before the portal closes.
What schools must confirm before registering
- Existence in the Grade 9 database: confirm the learner is listed in the school system.
- SBA scores: ensure School Based Assessment scores for Grades 7 and 8 are uploaded for all KJSEA candidates.
- KPSEA Performance Report: required for learners joining CBE from other systems.
- Accurate personal data: spelling and order of names as in the birth certificate, gender, year of birth, citizenship and Religious Education option.
- Special needs coding: record disability categories using KNEC codes (B, LV, HI, PH, ID) and attach required documentation.
KPLEA registration process
Teachers identify learners ready for the KPLEA and register them via the KPLEA registration portal on the same CBA site. Institutions must only register learners deemed ready by the teaching team.
Documentation for candidates with special needs
When registering learners with disabilities, schools must attach:
- a recent and detailed medical report from a recognised practitioner;
- an Assessment Report from the Sub‑county Special Needs office (EARC);
- a full‑size coloured photograph for candidates with physical disabilities;
- a Head of Institution report describing any special interventions required for fair assessment administration.
Fees, payments and citizenship rules
The Ministry of Education will pay assessment fees for all Kenyan candidates in public and private schools. Non‑citizen candidates must pay KES 4,500 directly to KNEC via the eCitizen platform; payment is mandatory for successful registration.
Assessment centres, hosting and new centre registration
New assessment centre applications should have been submitted to KNEC via SCDE offices before the end of 2025. KNEC will inspect and approve new centres by 27 February 2026; centres not approved by that date must arrange to register candidates at approved centres.
- Schools with fewer than 10 candidates cannot act as independent centres and should arrange hosting with an approved centre.
- Centres with fewer than 30 candidates may be hosted at approved centres identified by SCDEs.
- Schools for learners with special needs and government correctional facilities are exempt from the minimum candidate limits.
- KNEC may deregister or reassign centres when necessary under the KNEC Rules and Regulations (2015).
Portal access, passwords and OTPs
SCDEs and Heads of Institutions will log into the CBA portal using assigned usernames and passwords. Each login requires validation of contact details and a one‑time password (OTP) for two‑factor authentication. Heads must keep passwords and OTPs confidential and contact KNEC or their SCDE if a password is forgotten.
Data protection and parent consent
Under Sections 25, 26 and 29 of the Data Protection Act (2019), centre managers must obtain parent/guardian consent for the collection of learners’ personal data and inform them that the data will be used only for assessment purposes. Candidates will sign nominal rolls after confirming registration accuracy, and KNEC will provide an SMS service in April 2026 for parents/guardians to verify the registration details.
Important deadlines, amendments and penalties
- Registration portal closes: 31 March 2026. Late registration requests after closure will attract penalties.
- Amendments deadline: no registration amendments will be honoured after 22 May 2026.
- Ghost registration: registering non‑existent candidates is malpractice and can lead to sanctions including de‑registration of the school as an assessment centre.
How schools should prepare
Heads of Institutions should:
- verify all candidate details against birth certificates and school records;
- ensure SBA scores and KPSEA reports are uploaded before registration;
- collect and attach required documentation for learners with special needs;
- confirm collection points (distribution centres/containers) on the nominal roll and report discrepancies via SCDEs;
- familiarise staff with portal login procedures and secure passwords/OTPs.
For schools implementing the Competency Based Education (CBE) curriculum, review available exam and curriculum resources such as the CBC exams resources, curriculum designs for secondary transition like the Grade 10 curriculum designs, and useful past papers such as KCPE past papers to support learners preparing for KJSEA and KPLEA.
