Study in Kenya. Updated November 2026. 5 min read.
If you went to school in Kenya, you probably sat KCPE after Standard 8, went to secondary school for Forms 1 to 4, and sat KCSE at the end. Your children will not. Kenya has replaced the 8-4-4 system, in place since 1985, with the Competency-Based Curriculum, known everywhere as CBC, and in January 2026 the first CBC students entered Grade 10 in the new senior schools.
In short, CBC is a 2-6-3-3-3 system: two years of pre-primary, six years of primary, three years of junior school, three years of senior school and at least three years of university. Students sit a national assessment at Grade 9, the KJSEA, and choose one of three senior school pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science. The school year runs January to November in three terms. This page explains each stage, the exams, university placement and funding, and what diaspora parents moving back or comparing schools need to know.
The structure at a glance
| Level | Grades | Typical ages | Roughly the U.S. | National assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary | PP1 and PP2 | 4 to 5 | Pre-K and kindergarten | None |
| Primary | Grades 1 to 6 | 6 to 11 | Grades 1 to 6 | KPSEA at Grade 6, not used for placement |
| Junior school | Grades 7 to 9 | 12 to 14 | Middle school | KJSEA at Grade 9, used for senior school placement |
| Senior school | Grades 10 to 12 | 15 to 17 | High school | A national exit assessment at Grade 12 |
| University and TVET | 3 years or more | 18 and up | College | Placement through KUCCPS |
From 8-4-4 to CBC
The 8-4-4 system was criticized for decades as exam-heavy, with KCPE and KCSE results deciding a child's future at 13 and 17. CBC was rolled out from 2017 with a different aim: assess what students can do, through projects and school-based assessment as well as exams, and let them specialize earlier. The transition has been staggered. The first CBC cohort sat the KPSEA in Grade 6 in 2022 and moved to junior school in 2023, the same year the last KCPE was held. That cohort sat the first KJSEA in 2025 and entered senior school in 2026. The KCSE continues for the remaining 8-4-4 students in secondary school, with the last cohort expected to sit it in 2027.
The rollout has not been smooth, and Kenyans argue about it constantly: classrooms and teachers for junior school, the cost of project materials for parents, and how senior school places are allocated. A presidential working party on education reform recommended changes in 2023, and details continue to be adjusted. Check the Ministry of Education's latest guidance before you rely on any single detail, including the ones on this page.
Senior school pathways
At the end of Grade 9, each student chooses a pathway and a set of subjects within it, and is placed in a senior school that offers that combination. Placement uses the KJSEA results, school-based assessment, the student's pathway choice and their choice of schools. Every student also takes a small set of core subjects, including English and Kiswahili.
| Pathway | What it covers | Leads toward |
|---|---|---|
| STEM | Pure sciences, applied sciences, technical and engineering subjects | Medicine, engineering, computing, agriculture, technical careers |
| Social Sciences | Languages and literature, humanities, business studies | Law, business, education, media, public service |
| Arts and Sports Science | Performing and visual arts, sports science | Creative industries, sport, coaching, design |
Exams and assessment
National assessments are run by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), and the curriculum is developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). Under CBC, school-based assessments carry weight alongside the national tests, so classwork and projects matter more than they did under 8-4-4. National exams are written in the third term, from about October, and schools are busy and closed to most visitors during that period.
After school: KUCCPS, HELB and the funding model
The Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) places government-sponsored students into public and private universities and technical and vocational colleges, based on their results and the courses they choose. Since 2023, university funding has followed a new model: students apply through one portal for a mix of government scholarship and loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), banded by family need, with households paying the balance. The model has been challenged in court and adjusted, so families should check the current position with HELB and their university before relying on it.
Students with foreign qualifications, such as a U.S. high school diploma, IB or A levels, apply to Kenyan universities directly and may need their certificates recognized; the university's admissions office will say what it needs.
The school calendar
| Term | Roughly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Early January to late March or early April | The longest term; a short mid-term break |
| April break | About three weeks | Easter usually falls in or near it |
| Term 2 | Late April to late July or early August | Music festivals and sports competitions |
| August break | About three to four weeks | |
| Term 3 | Late August to October or November | National exams; most schools closed to visitors |
| December break | November or December to early January | The long holiday |
For visiting groups, this matters. U.S. spring break and June fall in Kenyan terms, so classes are in session for a school exchange. The third term, from about September, is exam season, and visits to schools are often restricted. Our school exchange page covers how exchanges work.
Public, private and international schools
- Public schools: free primary education since 2003 and free day secondary education since 2008, though parents still pay for uniforms, materials and boarding
- Boarding culture: many secondary and senior schools board, and the best-known national schools, such as Alliance High School and Kenya High School, draw students from every county
- Private schools: from low-cost academies to expensive day and boarding schools; most follow CBC
- International schools: in Nairobi and Mombasa, teaching British (IGCSE and A level), International Baccalaureate or American curricula, with fees usually quoted in U.S. dollars or pounds
- Teachers in public schools are employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
For diaspora parents moving back or comparing
- Timing: Kenya's year starts in January, so a family moving in the U.S. summer arrives in the middle of the school year. Many families move in December or January
- Placement: public schools place children by age and records; bring report cards, transcripts, birth certificates and passports, and ask about the learner number public schools register in the ministry's database
- Kiswahili: it is compulsory in Kenyan schools. Children who arrive without it need support; ask each school how it handles that, and start lessons before you move
- Choosing a curriculum: CBC suits children who will stay in Kenya; international curricula ease a return to U.S. schools or universities
- Boarding: common from about age 14, and a big adjustment for children raised in the U.S.; visit first
- Fees: they vary widely, and international schools cost far more than CBC private schools; ask for the full fee schedule, including extras
For visiting teachers and education schools
Kenya's curriculum change is one of the most ambitious in Africa, which makes it a strong subject for teacher education students. Our school exchange programs pair U.S. classes with Kenyan schools for shared lessons, sport and music, and our teacher education study tours look at CBC from the classroom side. Visits run only with the school's consent and outside exam season.
