In simple terms, the Kenyan Competency based Curriculum (CBC) is a new system of education designed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) team and launched by the ministry of education in 2017. The CBC is designed to emphasize the significance of developing skills and knowledge and also applying those competencies to real life situations.

7 Core competencies of CBC
The creators of the competency based curriculum envision that at the end of the learning period, every learner should have achieved the following competences
- Communication and collaboration
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Imagination and creativity
- Citizenship
- Learning to learn
- Self-efficacy
- Digital literacy
CBC life values
At the end of the learning period the learner should have been molded to have the following values’;
- Love
- Responsibility
- Respect
- Unity
- Peace
- Patriotism
- Integrity
Levels of competency-based curriculum
CBC is divided into three levels as illustrated in the figure below
- Early Years Education
- Middle School Education
- Senior School
What is different in the new curriculum?
- Class are now called Grade.
- ECD has two levels only (Pre-Primary 1 and 2) that is PP1 and PP2
- Subject areas are now reoffered to as learning areas.
- Topics/sub-topics are now known as strands/sub-strands.
- learning outcomes is the new term that replaces lesson objectives.
- learning resources are used instead of teaching aids.
Infographic illustrating the competency based curriculum

Information in the above illustration was obtained from: Details of 2-6-6-3 curriculum design
NOTE: The above image can be visible clearly on a computer. If you are viewing it on your mobile phone just download and expand it.
CBC Schemes of work, lesson plans and notes
For CBC schemes of work, lesson plans and notes visit: Muthurwa Marketplace
Do not miss all our updates on understanding the competency based curriculum in Kenya
Lastly, don’t be in the dark, use the form below to Subscribe for our latest Education News, and interesting campus stuff. You can also comment below for any Question and We Will reply to you.
Make a decent living online by selling pdf Revision Papers, Class notes, Recipes, House Plans, templates, business plans, etc. at muthurwa.com and get paid via Mpesa.
Learn how it works →
where will the lower secondary school be situated?
Hi, am Gilbert, CBC is the real directive goal, all keep it up!
Please let me know the intake of students doing new curriculum of education after the p1 was phased out
Kindly need a verification of when the CBC programme teachers intake will be
True this is great
Hi,kindy send me cbc cylabuss for pp1 and pp2
observation study made. Most schools are still closed into paid for commercial formative assessments testing, ranking, putting the ranking sheets on notice board as those ranked at the bottom are laughed at by others in class, assembly and parents. Local educational directorate are aware of this without action taken. So, let the education ministry act as they are not aware of th evils on the background. Act please.
Hello my name is Koech CollinsWow! The new curriculum is very nice and its suitable to development of our country. According to my own point of view,this system will produce quality graduates,but my question is who will be the teachers for lower secondary is it p1 teachers or degree teachers,l will appreciate your response. Thank you
Hi,Im Ali Kiwaka . It ought to be a good curricurrum.Kindly send me a whole syllubus of cbc.
CBC is the way to go. Congratulations KICD for developing CBC. It is easier, understandable and enjoyable. We are happy and have embraced the new curriculum.
Hi my name is George.I am a computer teacher in a certain school.The only enquiry i have is whether we have computer lesson materials for CBC or what ways do i need to implement CBC in computer lesson ,i need to be re eqquipped by january before the schools open since i have to also give a report on the same to my director.Kindly if there is a way that can be helpful i will really appeciate.
Kind regard.
J like this curriculum. Keep it up.
Lower and upper secondary will they be in the same school?
They can be under one management but it will depend on whether the school can afford the infrastructure for senior school (upper secondary).
kindly help on how to sign a. competency based curriculum
it is so good, but let me know how changes in geography and religious education will affect lower and upper secondary teachers.
This is the best
very good move
kindly send me the whole syllabus for cbc
his is the best curriculum ever the tsc and the teachers union should work together to ensure that it has been implemented.
anyway this can be greatly achieved by not associating the cbc with the politics
or, we need a political will to achieved the cbc
A good change .Kindly send the CBC module to me
Lower secondary and Senior school will it be in the same school?
The CBC is a wonderful curriculum,yet TSC and ministry of Education has failed to sit together and assess the situation and it’s implementation in schools.The problem revolves around the workload needed for teachers to come up with and meet individual pupil needs in classroom set up . The pupil : teacher ratio is poor especially in public schools .The government should be kind enough and reduce subjects handled by a single teacher to two in order to realize the fruits of CBC.Assessing , grading,and placement of a large class of learners in grade 1_3 is overwhelming for the few teachers as subjects has been increased.For ICT , the number of TDD’s be increased to six ;3 for grade 1_3,3one for ICT champion and 2 for grade 4_6.
The detailed information on CBC is excellent keep it up! CBC is skill based an excellent way to build a new generation, great core values, and great competencies. We are open to the new Curriculum
Hi ,five year old should be in which class ,is it pp1 or pp2
Please send me the CBC teacher trainee module in my email
Kindly asking for the same
My daughter joined grade one and the class was given a midterm test and the pupils ranked and the list placed on the schools notice board. Is this a good approach to CBC?
The whole ranking system is out dated. It does nothing but show that some people are good at memorising what is required to pass a test and demotivates those at the bottom of the list. It really serves no purpose at such a young age. If we must have a ranking system it should just be for the final years of secondary school and should only rank the top 3, the rest should be left unranked.