The Daily Nation reports that 1.1 million learners who completed junior school are now awaiting their Grade 9 test results, expected before Christmas.
High-performing students stand to secure admission to their preferred secondary schools.
The Ministry of Education has outlined four pathways through which candidates can gain automatic entry into boarding schools of their choice.
These include: top six learners per gender in each STEM track per sub-county; top three learners per gender in each social science track per sub-county; top two learners per gender in each arts and sports science track per sub-county; and candidates whose achievement levels average seven or eight per track.