Understanding the new KJSEA grading

kevin · December 15, 2025, 8:23am

EE, ME, AE, BE — What It Really Means

Good morning everyone.

Today, I want us to talk about something that has caused excitement, confusion, anxiety, and in some homes… silence at the dining table. The new KJSEA grading system.

Many parents opened the results, saw EE, ME, AE, BE, and immediately asked: “Is this good or bad?” “Where is A, B, C?” “Has my child passed or failed?”

Let me say this clearly from the start:

This grading system is not about passing or failing. It is about measuring how well a learner has mastered skills.

So let us walk through it calmly, clearly, and without fear.

First: Why the Grading Changed

Kenya moved from the old exam-centered system to Competency-Based Education.

The old system asked:

“How many marks did you score compared to others?”

The new system asks:

“What can you actually do with what you have learned?”

So instead of ranking children from top to bottom, the system now checks levels of competence.

That is why the language changed.

The Four Performance Bands (The Big Picture)

There are four main bands:

EE – Exceeding Expectations
ME – Meeting Expectations
AE – Approaching Expectations
BE – Below Expectations

Think of them like this:

EE → The learner is doing very well
ME → The learner is doing well and as expected
AE → The learner is almost there but needs support
BE → The learner needs serious support and intervention

Already, you can hear the difference. This is descriptive, not judgmental.

The Hidden Detail Most People Miss: Sub-Levels

Each band has two levels.

That gives us 8 achievement levels in total.

Let’s walk through them slowly.

EE – Exceeding Expectations (Top Performance)

EE1 – Achievement Level 8 (90–100%)

This learner:

Has mastered the skills exceptionally
Can apply knowledge confidently
Thinks critically and independently

This is the highest level possible.

EE2 – Achievement Level 7 (75–89%)

This learner:

Performs very strongly
Understands concepts clearly
Makes very few mistakes

Still excellent performance.

Important: In the old system, this range would comfortably sit in the A zone.

ME – Meeting Expectations (Strong and Acceptable)

ME1 – Achievement Level 6 (58–74%)

This learner:

Understands the required skills
Can apply them correctly
Occasionally needs guidance

This is good performance.

ME2 – Achievement Level 5 (41–57%)

This learner:

Meets minimum expectations
Understands basics
Needs more practice

This is fair but acceptable.

ME does not mean weak. It means the learner is where they are expected to be.

AE – Approaching Expectations (Almost There)

AE1 – Achievement Level 4 (31–40%)

This learner:

Understands some concepts
Struggles to apply them consistently
Needs targeted support

AE2 – Achievement Level 3 (21–30%)

This learner:

Has partial understanding
Requires frequent guidance
Needs structured intervention

AE does not mean failure. It means the learner is on the path but needs help.

BE – Below Expectations (Needs Serious Support)

BE1 – Achievement Level 2 (11–20%)

This learner:

Struggles with foundational skills
Cannot apply concepts independently

BE2 – Achievement Level 1 (1–10%)

This learner:

Has minimal understanding
Needs intensive remedial support

BE is not a punishment. It is a signal for action, not shame.

The Most Important Clarification

Let me say this clearly, because this is where fear came from:

EE does NOT mean “E” like in KCPE EE is the BEST performance

Old thinking will confuse you. This is a new language.

How This Affects Placement to Senior School

KJSEA results:

Are converted into points (1–8 per subject)
Are combined with school-based assessments
Are used for placement decisions

So:

Higher achievement levels = higher points
More points = better placement opportunities

But placement is now multi-factor, not exam-only.

What Parents Should Do (Very Important)

Do not compare children
- Each learner develops differently
Look at patterns, not one subject
- Are they ME in most areas?
- Is AE repeating in the same skill area?
Ask schools for guidance
- What support is available?
- What skills should be strengthened?
Encourage, don’t intimidate
- Fear kills learning
- Support builds confidence

Final Thought

This system is not perfect. Change is uncomfortable. But the intention is clear:

To raise capable learners, not just good exam sitters

If we understand the language, support our children, and work with teachers,

then EE, ME, AE, and BE stop being scary letters and become useful signals for growth.

kevin · December 15, 2025, 8:24am

Kenya’s first cohort finishing junior school under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) got results in a brand-new language: EE, ME, AE, BE — each with two sub-levels and an 8-point achievement scale. This post breaks down what those letters mean, how the points and percentage bands work, why the change matters, the pros and cons, and practical advice for parents, students and teachers.

Quick summary (tl;dr)

The KJSEA uses four performance bands: Exceeding Expectations (EE), Meeting Expectations (ME), Approaching Expectations (AE) and Below Expectations (BE). Each band has two achievement levels, giving 8 possible levels scored 1–8 points.
Percentage ranges and points (summary):
- EE1 (AL8): 90–100% → 8 points (Exceptional)
- EE2 (AL7): 75–89% → 7 points (Very good)
- ME1 (AL6): 58–74% → 6 points (Good)
- ME2 (AL5): 41–57% → 5 points (Fair)
- AE1 (AL4): 31–40% → 4 points (Needs improvement)
- AE2 (AL3): 21–30% → 3 points (Below average)
- BE1 (AL2): 11–20% → 2 points (Well below average)
- BE2 (AL1): 1–10% → 1 point (Minimal) .

Why the new labels (EE, ME, AE, BE)?

CBE focuses on competency and progress rather than ranking learners on raw marks. The new labels are meant to describe how learners meet expected competencies:

EE = performing above expectations,
ME = performing at expected level,
AE = getting close but not quite there,
BE = below the expected level. The two sub-levels within each band help differentiate borderline vs. clear performance within that band.

Note: Some parents were initially confused because the old KCPE used letters A–E where E meant the lowest grade. In the KJSEA system EE is the best, not the worst — so read labels with the new definitions, not old mental shortcuts.

How results are used for senior-school placement

KJSEA scores will form a key part of the composite used for placement decisions. Early guides indicate KJSEA performance will be heavily weighted alongside school-based assessments and earlier primary assessment contributions — meaning each point matters for placement. Countries/ministries typically combine exam points with other measures to decide pathways and subject tracks.

What’s good about the new system

Competency focus — Emphasizes skills and mastery over competition for marks. (The Standard)
More granular feedback — Eight achievement levels let teachers and parents see small differences in performance and target interventions.
Removes ranking anxiety — The bands are intended to reduce the “percent-and-rank” stress cycle and encourage learning for competence.

Concerns and challenges

Communication/label confusion — Familiarity with old labels causes alarm (e.g., seeing an “E” and reading it as failure). Clear orientation is required.
Transition to placement metrics — Parents used to A–E and raw marks want to know how points translate to the schools they know. The system needs transparent cut-offs for school categories.
Teacher preparedness — Accurate SBA (school-based assessment) and interpretation across schools will be critical; inconsistency could affect fairness.

Practical advice — what parents and students should do now

Don’t panic at the letters. Read the band + sub-level + percentage together. EE is excellent; BE means extra help is needed.
Ask for the breakdown. Request the subject-by-subject achievement levels and the percentage ranges from your school — the KJSEA report should show both the band and the percentage or points. (Kenya National Examinations Council)
Focus on learning gaps. If several subjects fall in AE or BE, ask the teacher for a specific remediation plan (skills to strengthen, learning targets).
Monitor composite placement criteria. Schools and ministries may publish how they weight KJSEA vs SBA vs earlier assessments — find that so you can estimate placement chances. ([EduPoa]

For teachers and school leaders

Orient parents with clear guides (what EE/ME/AE/BE mean). Use visual aids showing percentage ranges.
Standardize SBA moderation to reduce variability between schools (shared rubrics, cross-marking).
Targeted interventions: use the 8-level scale to design micro-targeted lessons (e.g., move AE2 → AE1 → ME2).

Short critique — is this objectively better?

It’s not about “better” universally but different. The CBE grading is pedagogically progressive: more descriptive and learner-centered. But success depends on rollout: parent communication, teacher training, and transparent placement rules. Without those, the system risks creating confusion and perceived unfairness despite sound intentions.

FAQ (fast)

Q: Does EE mean the same as A in the old system? Not exactly — EE maps to the top achievement levels (AL7–AL8) and is roughly analogous to top A-range performance, but CBE emphasizes demonstrated competencies rather than rank.

Q: How many points do I need for national/extra-county schools? KNEC / Ministry will publish placement cut-offs for senior-school categories. Until those are formally released, you can use the 1–8 points per subject model to estimate totals. (

Closing — what to watch for next

Official KNEC user guides and placement rules (they’ve released management guides and explanatory documents — get the latest from KNEC). (Kenya National Examinations Council)
How schools report composite scores and any appeals/clarification channels for parents.
Ongoing teacher training and SBA moderation rollouts.