Creativity Will Be Essential For Grade 6 Learners to Pass CBC Final Exam.

Creativity Will Be Essential For Grade 6 Learners to Pass CBC Final Exam.

There has been a radical departure from the multiple-choice tests administered as part of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) under the previous 8-4-4 education system, as evidenced by the emergence of more specific information regarding the assessment of Grade Six students.

The tests implemented as part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) include formative and summative evaluations.

This means that the students have taken the school-based assessments in grades 4 and 5 and are taking the final round of tests before the national examinations in December.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will administer the end of primary education national assessment at the end of Grade 6 with a total weight of only 40%.

The test is now known as the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).

Students in grades four through six are taught English, Kiswahili, Sign Language (for deaf students), Home Science, Agriculture, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Religious Education (CRE/IRE/HRE), Creative Arts, Physical and Health Education, and Social Studies.

School-based assessments in grades 4, 5, and 6 inform stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers of subsequent grades, and curriculum developers, about the mastery of competencies and readiness of students for transition.

According to primary school teachers who spoke with The Standard, each question on the ongoing assessments requires students to demonstrate critical thinking and apply classroom-learned material.

For practical subjects, students are expected to perform activities that are graded based on their performance.

In previous years, even practical questions were answered on paper.

Johnstone Nzioka, national chairman of the Primary School Heads Association (Kepsha), stated that the assessments are practical and encourage children to think critically.

“Memorization is no longer the objective. It is about the application of knowledge and thought, “Nzioka explained.

In particular, candidates must identify objects depicted on the question paper and name the various components for questions on the ongoing examinations by writing down the answers.

This is a departure from past practice, in which candidates would only check multiple-choice boxes when responding to questions.

Candidates are also expected to read, comprehend, and provide reasoned responses to questions on question papers.

Under KCPE, this was only noticeable during composition writing and Insha, when candidates were given the opportunity to write down their creative reasoning.

As part of mathematics questions, learners are tested on the various components of mathematics, including numbers, measurements, geometry, data manipulation, and algebra.

Learners’ practical efforts to arrive at answers during KCPE examinations are now evident as candidates attempt to resolve various questions.

To demonstrate how they arrive at answers, candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of using a compass, protractor, ruler, and divider.

Agriculture, science and technology, art and craft, and religious education all contain practical questions with comparable content.

In religious education, candidates must recall a video they viewed in class and draw lessons, which they then use to compose answers.

In the practical portion of Home Science, students learned how to prepare Irish potatoes, bananas, and beef stew.

In music, the candidates demonstrated their abilities through the performance of sacred folk music. In contrast, in agriculture, they showed the domestication of rabbits and chickens through science projects involving modeling the human heart.

Prof. George Magoha, Cabinet Secretary for Education, confirmed that the CBC examinations for Grade Six students are proceeding smoothly.

Magoha stated, “Our sixth-grade CBC students have completed the majority of their practical exams and are currently undergoing Knec-mandated evaluations.”

“Everything is proceeding smoothly. The final written exam is scheduled for November, and the government is keeping an eye on it.

Sheila Aliviza, the principal of a Nairobi school, asserts that students use all of their skills during the creative process, which enriches their understanding and makes their lives easier.

Over 1.25 million students are scheduled to take the exam, determining their transition to junior high school.

The national examination will first be administered under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).

Except for composition and Insha, all the KPSEA examinations will be graded digitally due to their multiple-choice format.

All candidates will be required to achieve a maximum score of 40%, adding to the 60% they earned throughout their primary education.

Creativity Will Be Essential For Grade 6 Learners to Pass CBC Final Exam.