CBC Exams and Tests with Marking Schemes 2026 covering term 1 exams, term 2 exams and term 3 exams.
Every exam listed in this table is available on KCBErevision.co.ke with its full marking scheme included.
KCBErevision.co.ke provides CBC exams and tests for Grade 1 to Grade 10, for every term, with a marking scheme attached to every paper. This page explains how the CBC exam calendar works across Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Junior School, and the new Senior School Grade 10, and shows exactly which exams belong to which term. Use it to find the right paper for your grade, sit it under real conditions, and mark it against the same scheme a school would use.
Which exams does each grade sit, and how are they grouped by term?
Every grade from Grade 1 to Grade 10 sits three exams per term: an opener, a mid-term, and an end-term exam. This structure repeats identically across all three terms, which means a learner in Grade 1 and a learner in Grade 10 both sit nine exams in a full academic year, even though the subjects and difficulty differ sharply between them.
What is an opener exam, and when is it sat?
An opener exam is the first assessment of a new term, sat within the first one to two weeks after schools reopen. Its purpose is to check how much of the previous term’s content a learner has retained over the holiday.
- An opener exam draws its content from the term that has just ended, not the term that is beginning.
- Opener results are commonly used by teachers to decide whether a topic needs revisiting before new content starts.
- Because it follows a holiday break, an opener exam is usually the lowest-scoring exam of the three for most learners.
What is a mid-term exam, and when is it sat?
A mid-term exam is sat roughly halfway through a term, once the first block of new content for that term has been taught. Its purpose is to check progress on the current term’s syllabus before the term is complete.
- A mid-term exam only covers content taught since the term began, not content from the previous term.
- Mid-term results give both the teacher and the learner a checkpoint with enough time left in the term to correct course.
- A mid-term exam is typically shorter than an end-term exam, since it covers roughly half a term’s content rather than a full term.
What is an end-term exam, and how is it different from an opener or mid-term?
An end-term exam is the final and most comprehensive assessment of a term, sat in the last one to two weeks before schools close. Its purpose is summative: it measures everything taught across the entire term, not one section of it.
- An end-term exam covers the full term’s scheme of work, including content assessed earlier in the mid-term exam.
- End-term results typically carry the most weight of the three exams when a school compiles a term report.
- An end-term exam is the paper most learners and parents use to judge overall performance for that term.
How do opener, mid-term, and end-term exams compare?
The three exam types differ in timing, scope, and purpose, even though they follow the same subjects and grade level. This table summarises the difference in one view.
| Exam type | When it is sat | What it covers | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | First 1–2 weeks of the term | Previous term’s content | Checks retention after the holiday |
| Mid-Term | Roughly halfway through the term | Content taught so far in the current term | Checks progress before the term ends |
| End-Term | Last 1–2 weeks of the term | The full current term’s content | Measures overall term performance |
How many CBC exams does a learner sit in one academic year?
A learner sits nine CBC exams in one academic year, across three terms of three exams each. This total is the same at every grade from Grade 1 to Grade 10.
- Three terms multiplied by three exams per term gives nine exams per subject, per year.
- A learner studying seven subjects, as is typical from Junior School onward, sits nine exams for each of those seven subjects, which totals sixty-three individual papers in a year.
- This count does not include topical tests or holiday assignments, which are separate from the opener, mid-term, and end-term exam cycle.
What subjects are examined at each grade level?
The subjects examined at each grade depend on the learner’s school level, since CBC widens the subject list as learners move from Lower Primary toward Senior School. Four levels cover Grade 1 through Grade 10.
- Lower Primary (Grade 1–3): a smaller set of foundational learning areas, including Literacy, Mathematical Activities, Environmental Activities, and Religious Education.
- Upper Primary (Grade 4–6): an expanded set that introduces English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Studies, and Agriculture and Nutrition as distinct subjects in preparation for KPSEA Examinations (Kenya Primary School Education Assessment) at the end of Grade 6.
- Junior School (Grade 7–9): a broader subject list that includes Integrated Science, Pre-Technical Studies, and optional subjects, in preparation for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) at the end of Grade 9.
- Senior School (Grade 10): four compulsory subjects, English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, and Community Service Learning, plus three electives chosen from the learner’s pathway, which is either STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science.
Does every exam on this page come with a marking scheme?
Yes, every opener, mid-term, and end-term exam listed for Grade 1 to Grade 10 on KCBErevision.co.ke includes its full marking scheme. This is a deliberate policy, not an occasional bonus.
- A marking scheme shows exactly how marks are allocated per question, not just the final correct answer.
- Self-marking against a scheme lets a learner or parent identify precisely where marks were lost, which a raw score alone cannot show.
- Every marking scheme is released together with its matching exam, so the two are never separated across different downloads.
What is different about Grade 10 exams compared to Grades 1 to 9?
Grade 10 exams differ because they are pathway-specific, while every exam from Grade 1 to Grade 9 follows one shared national subject list. This is the single biggest structural change a learner experiences moving from Grade 9 into Grade 10.
- A Grade 9 learner sits the same subject list as every other Grade 9 learner nationally, but a Grade 10 learner’s elective exams depend on whether they chose STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science.
- Grade 10 Mathematics is not one exam: STEM learners sit Core Mathematics, while learners in the other two pathways sit Essential Mathematics.
- 2026 is the first year Grade 10 exams have ever existed in Kenya, since this is the first cohort to complete Junior School under the CBE system.
How should you use opener, mid-term, and end-term exams together?
You should use these three exams in sequence, letting each one guide your revision priorities for the exam that follows it. Three facts explain why the order matters.
- Your opener exam result tells you which topics from last term still need review before you can safely move on to this term’s new content.
- Your mid-term result tells you whether your grasp of this term’s new content is on track, while you still have half a term left to fix any gaps.
- Your end-term result gives you the clearest picture of your full-term performance, and it is the score you should carry into your next term’s opener revision.
Where can you get Grade 1–10 exams and marking schemes?
You can download every opener, mid-term, and end-term exam for Grade 1 to Grade 10 directly from KCBErevision.co.ke, organized by grade, term, and subject. Every paper is listed with its marking scheme attached, so you can download both in a single visit and start marking as soon as the exam is complete.
CBC Exams and Tests with Marking Schemes 2026 Frequently asked questions
General questions about CBC exams
- What is the difference between a CBC exam and a CBC topical test? A CBC exam is a full, timed paper covering an entire section of the syllabus, while a topical test is a short assessment covering a single topic. Exams are sat at fixed points in the term calendar, opener, mid-term, and end-term, while topical tests are sat immediately after a topic is completed, regardless of where the term calendar stands.
- Who sets CBC opener, mid-term, and end-term exams? CBC opener, mid-term, and end-term exams are set internally by individual schools, sub-counties, or education publishers, not by KNEC. KNEC’s role in the CBC structure is limited to national assessments such as the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) at the end of Grade 6, Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) at the end of Grade 9 and the Kenya Senior School Education Assessment (KSSEA) at the end of Grade 12.
- Are CBC exams the same across all schools in Kenya? No, CBC exams vary between schools because each school, sub-county, or publisher sets its own opener, mid-term, and end-term papers based on the same national curriculum design. The subjects and topics covered are standardized nationally, but the exact questions, format, and difficulty differ from one source to another.
- Why do CBC exams follow an opener, mid-term, end-term pattern instead of one exam per term? CBC exams follow this three-part pattern because it gives teachers three separate checkpoints across a term instead of a single end-of-term score. An opener checks retention from the previous term, a mid-term checks progress partway through, and an end-term measures the full term, which together give a more complete picture than one exam alone.
Questions about using these CBC Exams and Tests with Marking Schemes 2026 and CBC exams for your child or your class
- Will I get the marking scheme when I download an exam for my child? Yes, every exam you download from this page comes with its marking scheme attached, so you’ll never need to search separately for it. You can hand your child the question paper first, then use the scheme afterward to mark their work yourself.
- How do I know which exam my child should sit right now? Check where your child’s school is in the term calendar, then match that to the right exam type: an opener if term has just started, a mid-term if you’re roughly halfway through, or an end-term if the term is closing. If you’re unsure, starting with the opener for the current term is the safest choice, since it will show you where your child’s revision needs to begin.
- My child scored poorly on their opener exam. What should I do? Your child’s opener result is telling you which topics from last term still need review, not predicting how the rest of this term will go. Use the marking scheme to identify exactly which questions were missed, revisit those specific topics, and expect the mid-term score to improve once that gap is closed.
- I’m a teacher, can I use these papers as my school’s official exams? Yes, you’re welcome to use or adapt any opener, mid-term, or end-term exam on this page for your own class. Many teachers use these as a base and adjust the difficulty or local context slightly to match their own learners.
- How will I know if my child is ready for their end-term exam? Your best indicator is your child’s mid-term score, since it covers roughly the same content the end-term exam will test at a deeper level. If your child scored well on the mid-term and has kept up with new content since, you can expect a comparable or improved end-term result.
- My child is in Grade 10, do the exams differ by pathway? Yes, your child’s elective exams depend entirely on their chosen pathway, whether that’s STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science. Only the four compulsory subjects; English, Kiswahili or Kenyan Sign Language, Mathematics, and Community Service Learning, are the same for every Grade 10 learner regardless of pathway.
- I don’t know my child’s exact term dates. Can I still use these exams? Yes, you don’t need exact school dates to use these papers effectively. If you’re unsure whether to start with an opener, mid-term, or end-term exam, work through all three in order for the current term, the sequence itself will guide you through a full term’s content regardless of your school’s specific calendar.
- Can I use a lower grade’s end-term exam to prepare my child for the next grade? Yes, this is a common and effective strategy. Sitting the previous grade’s end-term exam a few weeks before your child moves up gives you a clear, current picture of any gaps to close before the new grade’s opener exam arrives.
- How often are new Grade 1–10 exams added to this page? New opener, mid-term, and end-term exams are added throughout the year, with the most frequent updates uploaded just before each exam period begins in every term. Check back at the start of each term, or shortly before your child’s mid-term or end-term date, for the newest papers.
- I want to track my child’s progress across a full year. What should I download? Download all nine exams for your child’s grade and subject, the opener, mid-term, and end-term for each of the three terms — and keep their scores in one place as you go. Comparing scores across all nine will show you a trend across the year, which is a far more reliable picture than judging your child from any single exam.