TSC Promotion Interviews 2026: Scoring Guide, Dates and Documents Required.
The Teachers Service Commission’s 2026/27 promotion exercise has moved past shortlisting and into live interviews. Primary school panels have been sitting since September 8, and post-primary and Curriculum Support Officer (CSO) panels begin September 17. If you’ve been invited, here’s exactly how the scoring works, what to carry, and what happens after the interview.
Where Things Stand Right Now
TSC advertised 34,016 promotion vacancies across 30 cadres in July 2026, drawing more than 160,000 applications by the August 10 deadline. Using a shortlisting ratio of three candidates for every advertised post, the Commission generated merit lists and began notifying successful applicants by SMS from August 31.
That notification window closes today, September 11. But the notification period and the interviews themselves are two different things — a distinction worth getting right, since a lot of circulating information blurs them together:
| Stage | Dates | Who Runs It |
|---|---|---|
| Shortlisting invitations sent | August 31 – September 11, 2026 | Regional, County and Sub-County Directors |
| Primary school interviews | September 8 – 15, 2026 | Sub-county and county panels |
| Post-primary and CSO interviews | September 17 – 25, 2026 | County and regional panels, led by the Director of Staffing |
In other words, primary interviews are already running and post-primary interviews start in under a week. If your SMS gave you a date inside these windows, that’s your actual panel appearance, not just a formality.
Applications, Shortlisting and Ratios: The Numbers
- Total promotion vacancies advertised (July 2026): 34,016, across 30 job designations from Senior Teacher II up to Chief Principal
- Applications received: over 160,000, closed August 10, 2026
- Teachers shortlisted: more than 70,000
- Shortlisting ratio: 3 candidates per advertised vacancy
- Legal basis: TSC Circular No. 13/2026, “Guidelines on Promotion of Teachers – 2026/2027 Financial Year,” dated July 24, 2026, valid until June 30, 2027
Shortlisting itself was merit-based, weighing years served in the current grade, TPAD performance, academic and professional qualifications, and disciplinary record. Sub-county, county and regional offices then compiled cadre-specific merit lists before issuing interview invitations.
Where Interviews Are Held
Panel level depends on the position, not a single national panel:
- Sub-county panels handle primary school positions, including headteachers and deputy headteachers.
- County panels handle post-primary positions such as deputy principals.
- Regional panels handle principals, TTC administrators and Curriculum Support Officers.
How the Scoring Guide Actually Works — and Why “One 100-Mark Table” Is Misleading
This is the part most guides get wrong. TSC does not use a single fixed scoresheet for every candidate. Circular No. 13/2026 introduced grade-specific scoresheets — every advertised grade, from Curriculum Support Officer II up to Chief Principal, has its own 100-mark breakdown, annexed separately to the circular. The same six broad factors recur across all of them, but the marks allocated to each shift depending on the seniority and nature of the post:
- Academic and professional qualifications
- Length of stay in the current grade
- Acting or administrative responsibility (where applicable)
- TPAD performance (average of the last three years)
- Age
- Professional contributions and co-curricular activities
Because the weighting genuinely differs by grade, treat any single 100-mark table you see online as an example for one category of post, not a universal formula. Two illustrative examples from the published scoresheets:
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Chief Principal, Grade D5/T-Scale 15
| Assessment Area | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|
| Length of stay in current grade | 45 |
| Age | 30 |
| TPAD performance | 10 |
| Academic and professional qualifications | 5 |
| Professional assignments (KNEC, KICD, CBC, CEMASTEA, TSC roles) | 5 |
| Co-curricular activities | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Under this scoresheet, 8+ years in the current grade earns the full 45 marks (7 years = 40, 6 years = 35, 5 years = 30, 4 years = 25, 3 years = 20), and teachers aged 57 and above get the full 30 age marks.
Curriculum Support Officer I, Grade D2/T-Scale 12
| Assessment Area | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|
| Age | 45 |
| Length of stay in current grade | 40 |
| Academic and professional qualifications | 5 |
| Management/leadership course certification | 5 |
| Computer application certification | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
By contrast, administrative posts such as deputy principals, deputy headteachers, senior masters and senior teachers combine acting responsibility with length of stay into a single large block — typically 50 to 55 marks jointly, split between recognised administrative service (e.g., deployment as Head or Deputy Head of Institution) and years already spent in the grade.
TPAD, age, qualifications and co-curricular marks then fill out the remaining points, similar in shape to the older, more familiar single-table version many teachers have seen circulating, but the exact split still varies by post.
Practical takeaway: don’t memorise a generic table. Check the scoresheet annexed to your specific advert on the TSC portal, or ask your Sub-County Director’s office which scoresheet applies to your cadre.
TSC has also confirmed that final scores per section are calculated as the average of marks awarded by individual panel members, and the sum of those averaged section scores becomes the candidate’s total.
Read Also: TSC TPAD Portal Login Guide: Appraisal, TPD, and Reports
Documents to Carry to the Interview
This cycle, panels are reportedly focused heavily on verifying physical documents against what was submitted online and against the applicable scoresheet, rather than running oral policy Q&A. Whatever the exact format at your venue, come prepared with:
- Original National ID Card, plus a photocopy
- Original academic and professional certificates — KCSE/PTE certificates, diplomas, degrees and postgraduate qualifications where applicable, with names matching across all documents
- Letter of appointment to your current grade, latest payslip, or your last promotional letter — whichever confirms your entry point and tenure
- Administrative deployment or assignment letters, if you’re claiming marks for acting as Head or Deputy Head of Institution, including Board of Management deployment letters where relevant
- Performance Appraisal Reports (TPAD) for 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Evidence of professional contributions — TIMEC membership, CBC or CEMASTEA county training roles, KNEC examiner or item-developer status, KICD panelist or book-evaluator roles, authorship, or similar
- Co-curricular participation records — sports, music, drama, science congress or similar, at whatever level you competed
Arrange your file in order and paginate it. Arrive at least one hour before your scheduled time.
After a Successful Interview: Clearance Certificates
Passing the panel isn’t the final step. Candidates recommended for promotion are typically required to obtain statutory clearances before formal appointment letters are issued:
- Certificate of Good Conduct (Directorate of Criminal Investigations)
- HELB Clearance Certificate
- KRA Tax Compliance Certificate
- EACC Clearance (Chapter Six compliance)
- CRB Clearance Certificate
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It’s worth starting these applications early, since some — particularly the Certificate of Good Conduct — can take days to process.
Eligibility: Minimum Years in Grade
For the main 34,016-vacancy exercise, teachers generally needed at least three years of continuous service in their current grade to qualify, including re-employed teachers who must complete three years of continuous service before applying.
The 1,631 Re-Advertised Vacancies — Deadline September 14
Separately from the main exercise, TSC re-advertised 1,631 promotion vacancies on September 1, 2026, with a reduced service requirement of two years (rather than three) in the current grade:
| Position | Grade | Number of Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy Headteacher II (Regular) | C4 | 1,470 |
| Deputy Principal III (Regular) | D1 | 132 |
| Senior Master II | D1 | 29 |
Applications close at midnight on Monday, September 14, 2026, submitted only through www.teachersonline.go.ke — manual applications are not accepted. Teachers who already applied for these same posts under the original July advertisement do not need to reapply; their earlier submission still stands.
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How to Check If You Were Shortlisted
- Check for an official TSC SMS. This is the primary notification channel.
- Visit your TSC Sub-County Director’s office if you haven’t received a message. Merit lists are held there, and a missing SMS doesn’t automatically mean you weren’t shortlisted — network issues and wrong contact details on file are common causes.
A Note on Brokers
TSC has repeatedly stated that the promotion process is free and that engaging brokers or canvassing on your own behalf can lead to automatic disqualification. Deal directly with your Sub-County, County or Regional Director’s office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the invitation SMS the same as the interview date?
Not necessarily. The SMS notification period (August 31–September 11) is separate from the actual panel dates — primary interviews run September 8–15, and post-primary/CSO interviews run September 17–25. Your letter or SMS should state your specific date.
Does every grade use the same 100-mark scoring table?
No. TSC introduced grade-specific scoresheets under Circular No. 13/2026. The categories (qualifications, length of service, TPAD, age, professional contributions, co-curricular activity) recur, but the marks allocated to each differ by post.
What is the minimum service requirement to apply for promotion?
Generally three years in the current grade for the main exercise. The September 2026 re-advertisement of 1,631 vacancies reduced this to two years for Deputy Headteacher II, Deputy Principal III and Senior Master II posts only.
What documents are compulsory at the interview?
Original national ID, original academic and professional certificates, proof of your current grade (appointment letter, payslip, or last promotional letter), TPAD reports for 2023–2025, and any supporting evidence for administrative or professional contribution claims.
What clearances are needed after being recommended for promotion?
A Certificate of Good Conduct, HELB clearance, KRA tax compliance certificate, EACC clearance and a CRB clearance certificate are typically required before an appointment letter is issued.
I haven’t received an SMS — what should I do?
Visit your TSC Sub-County Director’s office and check the official merit list rather than assuming you were unsuccessful.
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