Senior school under CBC (now CBE) covers Grade 10 to Grade 12, and every learner follows one of three pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science. Learners choose a pathway, subject combinations and senior schools in Grade 9, sit KJSEA, and are then placed in a senior school through the Ministry of Education’s national placement.
Quick answer: The three senior school pathways are STEM, Social Sciences and Arts and Sports Science. The Ministry’s selection portal splits them into seven tracks, and each subject combination is three subjects, taken alongside compulsory subjects such as Mathematics. In 2026 the second Grade 9 class chose eight schools (down from 12 in 2025) from 7 September, sits KJSEA from 26 to 30 October 2026, and joins Grade 10 in 2027.
What are the senior school pathways in CBE?
Senior school is the last three years of basic education. Instead of the same subjects for everyone, as in 8-4-4 secondary, each learner follows a pathway that matches their interests and strengths.
| Pathway | Tracks (Ministry selection portal) | Often leads towards |
|---|---|---|
| STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) | Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences, Technical Studies | Health, engineering, computing, agriculture, technical careers |
| Social Sciences | Languages and Literature, Humanities and Business Studies | Law, business, education, media, languages |
| Arts and Sports Science | Arts, Sports Science | Performing and visual arts, sport and sport science |
The tracks above are the ones listed on the Ministry’s Grade 10 Selection and Placement portal and on KEMI’s career guidance site. The careers column is our general guide, not an official list: most careers can be reached from more than one pathway.
When CBE was launched in April 2025, the Ministry said Mathematics stays compulsory in senior school, with STEM learners taking pure Mathematics and learners in the other two pathways a simpler form, according to Kenyans.co.ke.
Senior school pathways and tracks: what is the difference?
- Pathway: the broad area your child studies in senior school, one of the three above.
- Track: a narrower area inside a pathway, such as Pure Sciences inside STEM.
- Subject combination: the set of subjects your child takes in that track, at that school. On the Ministry portal each combination is three subjects with a code, for example Agriculture, Biology and Chemistry in the Pure Sciences track.
Not every school offers every pathway or combination. Senior schools are grouped as triple pathway schools, which offer all three, and dual pathway schools, which offer two (The Standard and Kenyans.co.ke). Each school declares its subject combinations and how many learners it can take, and Sub County Directors of Education vet them.
STEM pathway subjects and careers
STEM is the pathway most parents search for. Its three tracks are:
- Pure Sciences: combinations of two of Biology, Chemistry and Physics plus a third subject, such as Agriculture or a technical subject.
- Applied Sciences: subjects such as Agriculture, Computer Studies, Home Science, Business Studies or Building and Construction, often with a science.
- Technical Studies: subjects such as Electricity, Metal Work, Wood Work, Power Mechanics, Marine and Fisheries, Media Technology or Aviation, paired with a science, Geography or Business Studies.
Those subjects all appear in combinations on the Ministry’s portal, but which ones a school offers depends on its teachers and workshops. A learner does not need EE in every science to choose STEM, but they should be comfortable with Mathematics, because STEM learners take pure Mathematics.
C1, C2, C3 and C4 senior schools
You will see schools described as C1 to C4. According to People Daily in September 2026, the categories broadly reflect each school’s resources, infrastructure and reach: C1 schools are broadly the former national schools, C2 the former extra-county schools and C3 the former county schools. The same article stresses that a lower category does not mean a weaker school. We have not found an official description of C4, so ask the school or your Sub County Director of Education. The Star also reported that senior schools are grouped by pathways, accommodation (such as day or hybrid schools), gender and special needs.
Grade 10 school selection: how it works
Selection happens while your child is in Grade 9, before KJSEA, on the Ministry’s online selection portal, guided by their teachers. In 2025 it was at selection.education.go.ke; the 2026 portal is at selection-and-placement.kemis.go.ke, part of KEMIS.
2025, the first class (The Standard):
- Selection ran from 9 to 30 June 2025.
- Each learner chose a pathway, three subject combinations and four schools per combination: 12 schools in total.
- Learners with special needs could pick fewer schools, focused on those offering the right support.
2026, the second class:
- The Ministry first set the window for 24 August to 11 September 2026 (Citizen Digital). The portal opened on Monday 7 September for a five day exercise, with about 1.2 million learners taking part (Nation).
- The number of school choices was cut from 12 to eight (Nation).
- The portal asks learners to choose one or two subject combinations in their pathway.
Dates and rules can change each year, so follow the instructions your child’s junior school passes on. The portal itself says no one should ever ask you to pay to select, submit or be placed; report anyone who does to helpdesk@kemis.go.ke or +254 203 318 581.
How is Grade 10 placement decided?
Placement matches each learner to a senior school using their choices, their results and the space each school has. In June 2025 PS Julius Bitok said KJSEA would carry 60 per cent of the placement score and school based assessments from Grade 7 and Grade 8 20 per cent each, according to The Standard. This is the placement score, which is different from how the KJSEA result itself was later reported (KPSEA 20 per cent, school based assessment 20 per cent, KJSEA 60 per cent). Treat that as the rule announced for the first class, and check whether the Ministry has changed it for your child’s year.
Grade 10 placement: what happened after KJSEA
KJSEA, the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment, is sat at the end of Grade 9. For the first class:
- KJSEA ran from 27 October to 3 November 2025 (Capital FM).
- Results were released on 11 December 2025 (The Star).
- Placements were released on 19 December 2025, and a review window opened on 23 December (Capital FM).
- The first revision of placements was completed on 29 December 2025, and joining instructions were posted on placement.education.go.ke from 30 December (Ministry of Education).
- A further review window ran from 6 to 9 January 2026. Requests went through the learner’s junior school or the senior school of interest, submitted by the head of institution through the placement portal (Ministry of Education).
- Grade 10 learners reported from 12 January 2026 (Ministry of Education).
For the 2026 class, KNEC’s revised timetable sets the written KJSEA papers for 26 to 30 October 2026, after project work between May and July.
How do I check Grade 10 placement?
For the first class, The Star reported two ways:
- SMS: send the learner’s KNEC assessment number to 22263 (KES 30 per SMS).
- Online: log in to the Ministry’s selection portal (selection.education.go.ke for the first class) and open the placement results.
Joining instructions came through the placement portal. Expect the same channels for later years, but confirm them in the Ministry’s announcement for your child’s year.
How to choose a senior school pathway
- Start in Grade 7 and 8, not Grade 9. Notice what your child enjoys, where they do well in school based assessment, and what they do in their own time. Those assessments also count towards placement.
- Look at the learning areas, not only the marks. A learner rated EE in sciences and Mathematics may suit STEM. One who shines in languages, humanities or business may suit Social Sciences. A real talent in music, art, drama or sport points to Arts and Sports Science.
- Think about careers in broad terms. Most careers can be reached from more than one pathway.
- Talk to the teachers. They see your child every day.
- Check the schools. On the portal, see which pathways and combinations each school offers, and whether it is day or boarding.
- Choose combinations your child can live with. Make sure every combination listed is one your child would be happy in, not just the first.
- Keep a record. Save the confirmation slip and every message from the school and the Ministry.
If your child is weighing the national pathways against an international route, read which curriculum is best for my child and moving from CBC to IGCSE.
Fees and capitation in senior school
The Ministry’s 2 January 2026 statement said fees payable by learners in senior schools remained unchanged, that government capitation continues at KES 22,244 per learner per year, and directed heads not to impose extra levies. Boarding and other charges depend on the school, so ask for a written fee structure.
Our guides to the CBC grading system, CBC vs CBE and curricula in Kenya explain the rest.
How Enaton helps
Senior schools need pathways, tracks and subject combinations set up properly, and assessment recorded for each learner in the subjects they actually take. Enaton runs CBC/CBE from learning areas down to strands and sub strands, with competency levels and report cards parents follow on the parent portal, and each learner’s record carries on from junior school. Grade 10 intake runs through admissions, records stay KEMIS-ready and the timetable handles combinations. See the CBC school management system or Enaton for head teachers, or book a demo. A parent? See what Enaton gives parents.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three pathways in senior school?
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), Social Sciences, and Arts and Sports Science. Each is divided into tracks with their own subject combinations.
What are the tracks in each pathway?
On the Ministry’s selection portal: STEM has Pure Sciences, Applied Sciences and Technical Studies; Social Sciences has Languages and Literature, and Humanities and Business Studies; Arts and Sports Science has Arts and Sports Science.
How many schools does a Grade 9 learner choose?
Eight in 2026, down from 12 in 2025 (Nation). Follow the Ministry’s instructions for your child’s year, as the rules can change.
How do I check my child’s Grade 10 placement?
For the first class, by sending the KNEC assessment number to 22263, or online on the Ministry’s placement portal, where joining instructions were also posted.
Can my child change school or pathway after placement?
There have been review windows after placement. For the first class, one opened on 23 December 2025 and a further one ran from 6 to 9 January 2026, through the junior school or the senior school of interest. Ask the school about the current rules.
Sources
- Ministry of Education, Grade 10 Selection and Placement portal, pathways and help: selection-and-placement.kemis.go.ke
- KEMI, Career Guidance, Senior School Pathways: guidance.kemi.ac.ke
- Ministry of Education, Press Statement, “Academic Year 2026 Commencement Update”, 2 January 2026: education.go.ke
- The Standard, “Grade 9 learners begin choosing senior school pathways under CBC”, 9 June 2025: standardmedia.co.ke
- Capital FM, “Bitok promises KJSEA results by Dec 11, Grade 10 choices before Christmas”, 17 November 2025: capitalfm.africa
- The Star, “EXPLAINER: How to access Grade 10 placement results”, 20 December 2025: the-star.co.ke
- Capital FM, “KJSEA Grade 10 placement: How to review placement choice as deadline draws near”, 25 December 2025: capitalfm.africa
- Citizen Digital, “Grade 9 learners to select senior schools from August 24”, 2 August 2026: citizen.digital
- Nation, “Grade 9 learners get fewer school choices as senior selection opens”, 8 September 2026: nation.africa
- People Daily, “Grade 10 pathways: Understanding C1, C2 and C3 schools”, 8 September 2026: peopledaily.digital
- KNEC, Revised 2026 KJSEA Timetable and Instructions (archived 9 September 2026): web.archive.org
- Kenyans.co.ke, “Ministry of Education Changes CBC to CBE”, 25 April 2025: kenyans.co.ke
