Online Tutors for International Exams, for Students in Kenya
Students in Kenya finish secondary school with the KCSE or with British and IB qualifications, while younger learners move through the new Competency-Based Education pathway. As online tutors, we prepare students for the international exams and qualifications that sit alongside those routes, live online, in English, and timed around the Kenyan exam calendar.
- Live online lessons on East Africa Time (UTC+3)
- Lessons taught in English
- Plans built around KCSE, KJSEA, IB and Cambridge dates
- Lesson packages and course options
How secondary school ends in Kenya
Kenya is in the middle of a change of system. The last students on the 8-4-4 course still sit the KCSE, while learners on the Competency-Based Education (CBE) pathway move through junior and senior school, and private schools run British and IB programmes alongside both.
| Route | Exam or assessment | Run by | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-4-4 secondary course | KCSE, after four years of secondary school | KNEC | Entry to degree, diploma and certificate courses, with KUCCPS placement for Government-sponsored places; KNEC states the KCSE is set to end in 2027 |
| CBE junior school | KJSEA at Grade 9 | KNEC | Marks the end of junior school; learners then move to one of three senior school pathways: STEM, Social Sciences, or Arts and Sports Science |
| CBE senior school | School-based assessments from Grade 10, then KCBE at Grade 12 | KNEC | The first learners placed in the pathways began senior school in January 2026; KCBE is the planned certificate at the end of Grade 12 |
| British curriculum | IGCSE, AS and A Level, from Cambridge International and other British boards | The awarding board, with KNEC overseeing the conduct of foreign exams in Kenya | Applications abroad; A Levels are the usual direct route to UK degrees |
| IB Diploma | IB Diploma final examinations | International Baccalaureate | Offered by IB World Schools in Nairobi and Mombasa; used mainly for applications abroad; for a Kenyan university, confirm how it is treated with the university and KNQA |
Sources: KNEC, history page, KCSE page, foreign examinations page, 2026 KJSEA timetable and circular of 15 September 2025 on senior school pathways and circular of 8 May 2026 on assessment in senior school; KUCCPS, home page; IB, school listings for Kenya. Checked 8 October 2026.
The CBE transition: who sits what
Students now in their final years of the 8-4-4 secondary course sit the KCSE, which KNEC runs in October and November. KNEC states that the KCPE, the old primary exam, was held for the last time in 2023 and that the KCSE is set to end in 2027; on the four-year secondary course, that makes the students who sat the last KCPE the last year group to sit the regular KCSE. Anyone planning a resit should confirm the remaining sittings with KNEC.
Learners on the CBE pathway sit the KJSEA at the end of Grade 9 and are placed in a senior school pathway. In senior school, KNEC has rolled out school-based assessments from Grade 10, and the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) is planned for the end of Grade 12. The details of that final assessment are still being rolled out, so confirm them with KNEC and the Ministry of Education.
For a learner aiming at a university abroad, the KCBE is a new qualification, so check early how each university treats it in its international entry requirements. A Levels, the IB Diploma and tests such as the SAT and IELTS are qualifications and scores that universities already list in those requirements.
Where students apply, and what is usually asked
Requirements differ by university and by course, and they change between admissions cycles. The rows below describe the general pattern; for any university on your list, check the university’s international entry requirements for the year you apply.
| Destination | What is usually asked | Tests that may come in |
|---|---|---|
| Kenyan universities | KCSE results; KUCCPS lists each programme’s cluster subjects, minimum subject grades and past cut-off points on its student portal. Applicants with foreign qualifications may be asked to have them aligned by KNQA | Placement uses KCSE results; confirm any further requirement with the university |
| United Kingdom | A Levels or the IB Diploma; KCSE alone can mean a foundation programme first, as at the University of Manchester | IELTS or TOEFL, though some universities accept a high KCSE English grade instead |
| United States | The full secondary-school record, essays and references; some selective universities require SAT or ACT scores, others are test-optional | SAT or ACT where required; AP scores can support an application; English test rules vary |
| Canada and elsewhere | Each university publishes its own rules for KCSE, A Level and IB applicants, and these can differ between courses at the same university | English test where the university asks for one |
Sources: KUCCPS, home page and student portal programme pages; KNQA, alignment and validation of qualifications; University of Manchester, Kenya entry requirements. Checked 8 October 2026. Examples only; requirements differ between universities and courses.
Where the exam calendars collide
Kenya’s national exams fall in October and November, while British, IB and AP exams fall mainly in May and June. KNEC had not published its 2027 dates when this page was checked, so the Kenyan rows show the 2026 pattern; the SAT and AP rows are for 2026–27.
| When | Kenyan exams | International exams in the same window |
|---|---|---|
| Late September to mid-November | KCSE orals from 19 October 2026, practicals and the first written papers from late October, most written papers 2–20 November; KJSEA papers 26–30 October 2026 | Cambridge November series timetabled exams (late September to mid-November); SAT on 7 November 2026, during the KCSE written papers |
| December | KCSE over | SAT on 5 December 2026, the first date after the KCSE |
| February–March | KCSE registration (16 February to 31 March in 2026) | SAT on 6 March 2027; regular registration deadline 19 February 2027 |
| Late April to mid-June | KCSE project work in some subjects (January to July in 2026) | Cambridge June series; AP Exams 3–7 and 10–14 May 2027, late testing 17–21 May; IB May examination session; SAT on 1 May and 5 June 2027 |
Sources: KNEC, 2026 KCSE timetable, 2026 KJSEA timetable and 2026 KCSE registration circular; Cambridge International, 2026 monthly calendar; College Board, SAT dates and AP exam dates. Checked 8 October 2026. Confirm 2027 dates with each body.
Sitting international tests from Kenya
IDP lists computer-delivered IELTS centres in Nairobi and Eldoret; other centres may also run sessions, so check the official IELTS centre finder before choosing a date. For the SAT, College Board’s test centre search is the place to check current centres and seats, and a full centre can change the whole plan.
For a KCSE student, the SAT in November falls in the middle of the written papers, so the December, March, May and June dates are the realistic ones. A student on IGCSE, A Level or the IB has the opposite problem: May and June are crowded with school exams, so the SAT dates from November to March, and IELTS outside the exam season, usually fit better.
How online lessons work from Kenya
Send an enquiry
Write in English, French or Arabic, with the school route, the exams in view and the universities on the list. We answer in the language you write in.
Free intro call
A conversation, not a test, about the exam dates, the destinations and how much time school leaves. For the SAT, a free full-length diagnostic follows before any plan; for IB and IGCSE, the first lesson includes an assessment.
A plan around the Kenyan calendar
Lessons are scheduled in Kenyan time. Kenya stays on East Africa Time, 3 hours ahead of UTC, all year with no summer time, so a lesson time does not move between seasons.
Live lessons in English
Lessons are live online and taught in English. A tutor who can also explain a point in French or Arabic is confirmed case by case and never promised.
Prices before you commit
Open your programme’s pricing page to compare packages, lesson rates and available group courses.
What we do not claim
A page about a country should say what the company is and is not in that country.
No office in Kenya
Lessons are live online. There is no Nairobi or Mombasa centre, and no address to visit.
No Kenyan results or testimonials
We do not publish scores, admissions or reviews from students in Kenya, and we do not promise a score or a university place.
No partnerships or affiliations
We have no partnership with any Kenyan school or university and are not affiliated with KNEC, KUCCPS, Cambridge, the IB or College Board.
No KCSE or CBE course
Our programmes cover international exams and school qualifications such as IGCSE, A Level and the IB. Subject work can also help with KCSE papers, but we do not run a KCSE, KJSEA or CBE programme.
Further reading
IB vs A Level
The IB Diploma and A Levels side by side: subjects, Higher and Standard Level, the core, grading out of 45 or A* to E, exam series and university offers.
TOEFL vs IELTS
TOEFL iBT and IELTS Academic side by side: sections, timing, the 1–6 and 0–9 scales, speaking format, delivery, results and validity, and how to choose.
SAT vs ACT
Digital SAT and enhanced ACT side by side: sections, timing, scoring, adaptivity, calculators and optional Science, and how to decide which to take.
How it works
From free intro call to exam day: how each programme sets a starting point, how plans are written, how lessons run online and how progress is reported.
Pricing
Choose your course to compare lesson packages, group courses and available self-study products at TestPrep Africa.
Our tutors
The TestPrep group’s tutor roster: 49 named specialists, listed by exam and subject with the year each began teaching it. All lessons are live online.
Programmes Kenyan students most often need
IB Diploma Tutoring
Online IB Diploma tutoring: HL and SL subjects in all six groups, IA and EE supervision within IB rules, TOK and revision courses.
IGCSE Tutoring
Online IGCSE tutoring for Cambridge IGCSE and Pearson Edexcel International GCSE: tiers, papers, practicals by board, first-lesson assessment.
A Level Tutoring
Board-aware A Level tutoring online: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel (UK and International A Level) and Cambridge International, subject by subject.
IELTS Preparation
IELTS prep course online for students in Africa: one-to-one tutor or live group classes, line-by-line Writing and Speaking feedback, Academic and General.
Also relevant
SAT Preparation
SAT prep course online for students in Africa: one-to-one or live group classes, Reading and Writing and Math specialists, a free full-length diagnostic.
TOEFL Preparation
Online TOEFL iBT tutoring for the 2026 format: adaptive sections, the new task types and the 1–6 score scale, for students across Africa.
UCAT Preparation
Online UCAT tutoring for students in Africa applying to UK medicine and dentistry: all four subtests of the 2026 format and timing drills.
GMAT Preparation
GMAT prep course online for MBA and master’s applicants in Africa: one-to-one or group, Quant, Verbal and Data Insights specialists, free diagnostic.
GRE Preparation
GRE prep course online for master’s and PhD applicants: one-to-one or group classes, Verbal and Quant specialists, the Issue essay, a free diagnostic.
Exam guides for students in Kenya
IELTS Preparation in Kenya
IELTS for students in Kenya: which version UK and Canadian routes ask for, where IELTS and IELTS for UKVI are taken, and how to plan the test around KCSE.
IB Diploma Tutoring in Kenya
IB Diploma tutoring for students in Kenya: how KUCCPS and Kenyan universities treat the IB, UCAS deadlines in East Africa Time, and a May-session timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, ask us.
Plan your exams around the Kenyan calendar
Send us your school route, your exam dates and the universities on your list. The free intro call is the first step towards a timetable for the year.