Kenya's Senior School Under CBE: What Grade 10 Students Study From 2026
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 06, 2026 • Africa Higher Ed News & Policy
Kenya's first Grade 10 cohort under the Competency-Based Education system chooses one of three pathways in January 2026: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science. Each student takes 4 compulsory subjects plus 3 electives from their pathway, 7 subjects total.
🎓 Three pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, Arts and Sports Science
📩 4 compulsory examinable subjects for everyone: English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics (Core Mathematics for STEM, Essential Mathematics for the other two pathways), and Community Service Learning
🏃 Physical Education and ICT are compulsory for all learners but are assessed inside the school, so they sit outside the 7-subject exam count
⏱️ Placement uses 20% Grade 6 KPSEA score, 20% Grade 7-8 school-based assessment, 60% Grade 9 KJSEA exam
🏠 Minimum KJSEA-based score: 20 for STEM, 25 for Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science
Kenya's first senior school cohort under CBE
Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum reaches senior school for the first time as its pioneer cohort enters Grade 10 in January 2026. This is the first time Kenyan learners choose a structured pathway before senior school rather than a fixed common syllabus, and the choice shapes both their remaining school years and their options afterward.
The three pathways
Senior school under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework organises learning around three broad pathways, according to Tuko's education coverage :
| Pathway | Focus | Sample electives |
|---|---|---|
| STEM | Science, technology, engineering, mathematics | Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Aviation Technology, Agriculture |
| Social Sciences | Governance, economics, business, human behaviour | History, Geography, Business Studies, Economics, CRE or IRE, French, Mandarin |
| Arts and Sports Science | Creative and athletic talent | Music and Dance, Theatre and Film, Fine Arts, Sports and Recreation Science |
Subject load
Every senior school student takes 7 examinable subjects. Four are compulsory across all three pathways: English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), Mathematics, and Community Service Learning. STEM learners sit Core Mathematics. Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science learners sit Essential Mathematics, with the option to register for Core Mathematics instead where their intended course needs it, under the Grade 10 subject registration rules set by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Education News ). The remaining three subjects come from electives within your chosen pathway, letting you build a combination suited to the course or career you want after senior school. Physical Education and ICT are compulsory for every learner, are assessed by the school rather than at national level, and sit outside the 4 compulsory plus 3 elective, 7 subject total.
Why the mathematics rule confuses people
The rule changed inside one year. The Ministry of Education stated in March 2025 that mathematics would be optional outside STEM, which left English, Kiswahili or KSL, Community Service Learning and Physical Education as the four core subjects (The Star ). After stakeholder pressure, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba reversed that position in April 2025 and made a form of mathematics compulsory in all three pathways (Daily Nation , The Standard ). KICD then developed the Essential Mathematics design for non-STEM learners, and its Grade 10 curriculum designs carry both mathematics options. Explainers published before April 2025 still list the older four-subject set with Physical Education in place of mathematics, so check any subject list against KICD and KNEC guidance before planning a combination.
How placement into a pathway works
Placement combines results from three stages of assessment rather than a single exam. Your Grade 6 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) counts for 20% of your placement score, your school-based assessments (SBA) across Grade 7 and Grade 8 count for another 20%, and your Grade 9 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) carries the remaining 60%.
Minimum scores apply per pathway: STEM requires a score of at least 20, while Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science each require at least 25. Check with your school or the Ministry of Education for the cut-off scale in your cycle and how it maps to your assessment results, since placement thresholds are set centrally and get revised between cohorts.
What this means if you are choosing a pathway
Pick a pathway based on the electives that match the university course or technical field you want next, not only on which pathway feels easiest to enter. STEM electives feed directly into engineering, medicine, and technology-related degree programmes, Social Sciences electives support law, business, and humanities routes, and Arts and Sports Science supports creative and sports-related fields. Confirm subject combinations with your school early, since some electives are not offered at every institution.
Sources
- Tuko: List of career pathways in senior school in Kenya under CBE
- The Star: Why maths is optional in senior secondary level (March 2025)
- Daily Nation: Government U-turn, maths will be compulsory in senior school (April 2025)
- The Standard: Maths will be a mandatory subject in senior schools
- Education News: KNEC Grade 10 subject registration rules
- KICD: Grade 10 curriculum designs