The Ministry of Education has released the 2026 third term calendar, running August 24 to October 23, with KPSEA, KJSEA and KCSE exam dates confirmed alongside a renewed ban on school visits.
As the second term draws to a close, the Ministry of Education has confirmed that the third term for pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools will run from August 24 to October 23, 2026.
In a circular issued to regional, county and sub-county directors, the ministry directed that the official 2026 academic calendar be shared with all basic education institutions countrywide. Learners will spend nine weeks in class — the shortest term of the year — before the national assessment and examination period begins.
The term will be immediately followed by a tightly packed examination schedule. The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) will run from October 26 to October 29, while the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA) will take place from October 26 to October 30.
Candidates sitting the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will take their exams between October 26 and November 5.
The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) will then run from November 2 to November 20, closing out the national examination calendar for the year.
Once exams conclude, learners will proceed on their December holidays, which begin on October 26 and run through to January 1, 2027 — a break of roughly ten weeks for those not sitting national exams.
The ministry also reaffirmed its long-standing ban on activities and visits to secondary schools during the third term. "Activities and visits to secondary schools in the third term of 2026 remain banned as per the earlier circulars," the circular stated. The restriction remains in force throughout the examination period, meaning candidates will only return home once the term officially ends.
The measure was first introduced by former Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, aimed at curbing exam cheating by limiting contact between candidates and outside individuals during the critical exam window.
The announcement comes after learners enjoyed a three-week August holiday, running from August 3 to August 21, giving them a break before returning for what is expected to be an intense final stretch of the academic year.