Kenya's Grade 10 learners joining Senior School under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) will choose from three pathways—STEM, Social Sciences, and Arts & Sports Science—through the Ministry of Education's Grade 10 Selection System, according to The Kenya Times. Students will select three subjects from their preferred combination alongside compulsory learning areas, with the Kenya National Examinations Council involved in the process. The report examines which CBC pathway offers learners the widest range of future career options.

Grade 10 learners entering senior school in Kenya can choose the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics pathway, one of three senior-school routes under the Competency-Based Education system. According to The Kenya Times, the Ministry of Education’s Grade 10 Selection and Placement System enables learners to select pathways, subject combinations and schools, while the article lists senior schools offering STEM and the available subject combinations for placement planning.

Grade 9 learners in Kenya will choose from eight senior school options during the Grade 10 selection process, according to the Eastleigh Voice. Under the competency-based curriculum, learners must select a minimum of one and a maximum of two subject combinations across three pathways: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science. The selection exercise determines placement into senior secondary schools as students transition to the next level of their education.

Kenya’s Ministry of Education has opened a five-day Grade 10 school selection exercise for Grade 9 learners through the KEMIS portal, according to The Kenya Times. About 1.2 million learners are expected to participate. Under new rules, each learner can choose eight preferred senior schools, reduced from 12, as placement for senior school begins.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has begun the registration process for Grade 10 learners on the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal, as announced in a notice on June 24. This follows the closure of registration for Senior School assessment centres, and all registered assessment centres are now enabled to register Grade 10 learners for School-Based Assessment.

The Ministry of Education has issued a ban on schools from purchasing commercial exams, as stated in a circular dated June 30, 2026. The ministry indicated that this practice imposes illegal levies on learners and undermines classroom learning. It also reminded school heads that the ban on commercial examinations is applicable across all pre-primary and primary institutions.