What’s Inside Each Paper?

📘 Paper 1 – Functional Writing, Cloze Test & Oral Skills (60 Marks)

Functional Writing (20 marks):

• Memo (12 marks): As Principal of Rising Star Secondary School, write a memo to teachers in-charge of co-curricular activities asking them to provide a record of all items in their stores

• Inventory (8 marks): As teacher in-charge of Games Department, design an inventory of items in your store

Cloze Test (10 marks):

• Complete a passage on KCSE Results and University Admissions, featuring:

  • Form Four students making tough decisions

  • Pursuing higher education

  • Minimum qualifications (C+ and strong passes in English, Kiswahili, Mathematics, Science)

  • Cut-off points for public universities

  • Parallel degree programmes for fees paying students

Oral Skills (30 marks):

• Oral Narrative Analysis – Read “Why Chameleon Changes Colour”

  • Performance of opening words (falling intonation, slow pace)

  • Paralinguistic features (dramatization, gestures, facial expressions)

  • Ideophone identification (pata pata pa-ta)

  • Homophones (him/hymn, die/dye, I/eye, where/wear/ware)

• Sound Grouping – Underline odd word out

• Debate Preparation – Five important preparations for a successful debate

• Conversation Analysis – Identify shortcomings in John’s listening and speaking skills

• Word Stress – Explain meanings when emphasis is on underlined words

📗 Paper 2 – Comprehension, Literary Appreciation & Grammar (80 Marks)

Comprehension (20 marks):

• Read and answer questions on a passage about Technology

• Topics covered:

  • Definition of technology (executing discoveries of science, blending with needs)

  • Prominent ways technology changed lives (robotics, artificial intelligence)

  • Importance to humans (life simpler/faster, modernization, reduced risks)

  • Aeronautics advancements (reached moon, explored outer space)

  • Drawbacks (kids wasting time, crimes, lack of education, over-dependence)

  • Writer’s mixed thoughts (importance vs. drawbacks; use with moderation)

  • Vocabulary: blend, mammoth, boon

Literary Appreciation – Excerpt (25 marks):

• Analyze an excerpt from Paul B. Vitta’s Fathers of Nations (Pastor Chiamaka and the guide)

• Key focus areas:

  • Pastor Chiamaka’s scheme (meet president, shake hand, ask about Way Omega, mock president, flee)

  • Statements made in sermon four years earlier

  • Stylistic devices (dialogue, metaphor, sarcasm, flashback)

  • Other attendees (Tad Longway, Professor Kimani, Comrade Melusi, Engineer Tahir)

  • Theme (arrest and imprisonment)

  • Guide’s name (Dr. Abiola Afolabi)

  • Events after excerpt (Melusi daydreaming about wife Ziliza, phone call)

  • Vocabulary: jovial, smoldering, permissible

Poetry (20 marks):

• Analyze the song “The Return”

• Key focus areas:

  • Classification (praise song)

  • Singer (observer within community)

  • What the song is about (son of Andatsi returns victorious from war)

  • Economic activity (wheat farming)

  • Community organization (clans and elders)

  • Features of oral song (direct address, repetition, refrain, conversational tone)

  • Character trait of son (courageous, determined)

  • Mood (jovial/celebratory)

  • Meaning of lines

Grammar (15 marks):

• Sentence transformation (His…, Had…, reported speech)

• Word forms (strike → struck, passer-by → passers-by, beautiful → beautifying)

• Main clauses (underline)

• Gerunds (swimming)

• Phrasal verb replacements (eaten into → consumed, put down → killed)

• Subject-verb agreement (was, are)

• Ambiguity (Has the donkey eaten Mary? vs Has the donkey eaten, Mary?)

📙 Paper 3 – Imaginative Composition & Set Text Essays (60 Marks)

Imaginative Composition (20 marks):

• Option A: Write a composition ending with: “… The events of that day will remain etched in my mind forever.”

• Option B: Discuss how young people can use their talent for personal development.

Compulsory Set Text – The Samaritan by John Lara (20 marks):

• Essay topic: “Change can be initiated through the effort of ordinary citizens.” (Focus on Nicole)

• Key points:

  • Samaritan App – Exposes corruption; leaders panic

  • Mainstream media – Reporters gather information; newspapers expose leaders

  • Lessons on morality – Nicole teaches ethics and consequences of disobedience

  • Arrest and support – Bembe arrests Nicole; people support her; leaders apologize

  • Leadership offers – Leaders offer Nicole Director General position; she refuses

  • Inspiration – Nicole inspires students to stand for justice

Optional Set Texts (20 marks) – Choose ONE:

Option A: Ghosts by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• Essay topic: “War causes a lot of harm and thus should be avoided at any cost.”

• Key points:

  • Displacement – People forced to flee homes; Ikenna lived in Sweden; Prof James went to America

  • Loss of lives – Ikenna’s family killed; Prof’s daughter Zik died

  • Destruction of property – Books torn, photos ripped, piano lost

  • Psychological suffering – Memories haunt survivors; naming daughter Nkiruka (“what is ahead is better”)

Option B: Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang

• Essay topic: “Misuse of power is a common phenomenon in most African countries.”

• Key points:

  • Money Bags – Grabs sacred tree; enriches himself

  • Killing Arum Tidi – Silences whistleblower

  • Parliament members – Increase compensation while birds starve

  • Eliminating enemies – Kills critics and opponents

Option C: An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

• Essay topic: “Noriko’s marriage negotiations have been used as a means to reveal Ono’s past.”

• Key points:

  • Confession to Saito – Admits role in wartime propaganda

  • Setsuko’s suggestion – She feels father’s past caused collapse of first negotiation

  • Visit to Kuroda – Seeks assurance; thrown out; reminds of betrayal

  • Visit to Matsuda – Seeks assurance about past

  • Free admission – Admits mistakes made in the past