TSC Promotion Interview Scoring Guide 2026/27: The Verified 100-Mark Breakdown.
Thousands of teachers shortlisted for the Teachers Service Commission’s 2026/2027 promotion exercise are now going through interviews, and the single biggest question on their minds is simple: how exactly will the panel score me?
The answer comes from TSC Circular No. 13/2026, “Guidelines on Promotion of Teachers – 2026/2027 F/Y,” which the Commission issued on 24 July 2026 to Regional, County and Sub-County Directors. The circular introduces standardised, grade-specific scoring guides so that every shortlisted candidate is assessed the same way for the position they applied for.
More than 160,000 teachers applied by the 10 August 2026 deadline for 34,016 advertised promotion vacancies spread across roughly 30 cadres. Over 70,000 of them were shortlisted at a ratio of three candidates per vacancy and are now attending interviews coordinated by TSC’s Regional, County and Sub-County Directors.
Reports on the interview timetable have varied slightly by cadre and region, so candidates should rely on their personal invitation letter or SMS, and their local Sub-County Director’s office, for the exact date and venue that applies to them.
What TSC Has Announced
The circular confirms that the Commission has developed dozens of grade-specific scoring guides — separate score sheets for different cadres such as Deputy Headteacher, Senior Master, Senior Teacher, Curriculum Support Officer and others.
This matters because the mark allocation is not identical across all grades. A teacher competing for a headship-type position (for example, Deputy Headteacher II, Grade C4) is scored differently in places from a teacher competing purely as a classroom teacher moving up a job group.
The most commonly referenced structure — used for headship-linked C4-type positions such as Deputy Headteacher II and Senior Master IV — totals 100 marks as follows:
| Assessment Area | Maximum Marks |
|---|---|
| Academic and professional qualifications | 3 |
| Professional/curriculum development contributions | 2 |
| Administrative responsibility and length of stay in current grade (combined) | 55 |
| TPAD performance rating | 10 |
| Age | 25 |
| Co-curricular activities | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Read Also: TSC TPAD Portal Login Guide: Appraisal, TPD, and Reports
Who Is Affected?
Every shortlisted candidate in the 2026/27 promotion cycle, across primary schools, secondary schools and Teacher Training Colleges, is assessed under one of these grade-specific guides. Candidates should use the score sheet for their exact advertised position rather than assuming all cadres share the same weighting.
The 55-Mark Section: Where Most Marks Are Won or Lost
This is the largest single component, and it is actually made up of two separate sub-scores that together add up to 55 marks — not, as some earlier summaries have suggested, two equal 25-mark halves.
A. Administrative responsibility — up to 25 marks. This rewards documented experience performing duties such as Head of Institution or Deputy Head of Institution, including acting appointments made through deployment by the Commission or a school’s Board of Management.
| Years as Administrator | Marks |
|---|---|
| 8 years and above | 25 |
| 7 years | 22 |
| 6 years | 19 |
| 5 years | 16 |
| 4 years | 13 |
| 3 years | 10 |
| 2 years | 7 |
| 6 months–1 year | 4 |
B. Length of stay in current grade — up to 30 marks. This is a separate scale from administrative responsibility and carries its own, larger allocation.
| Years in Current Grade | Marks |
|---|---|
| 8 years and above | 30 |
| 7 years | 25 |
| 6 years | 20 |
| 5 years | 15 |
| 4 years | 10 |
| 3 years | 5 |
Bring your deployment or assignment letters, current appointment letter, payslip or last promotion letter to support both figures — panels score against documented evidence, not verbal claims.
Academic Qualifications and Professional Contribution — 5 Marks Combined
Academic qualifications carry 3 marks: a PhD earns the full 3, a Master’s degree earns 2, and a Bachelor’s degree earns 1. A separate 2 marks go to professional contributions such as TSC/TIMEC or CBC county training, KNEC examining or item development, KICD panel work or book evaluation, and recognised authorship. Carry original certificates and any letters or certificates evidencing these roles.
TPAD — 10 Marks
Your average Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD) rating over the relevant three-year period (2023–2025) determines this score:
| Average TPAD Rating | Marks |
|---|---|
| 81% and above | 10 |
| 61–80% | 8 |
| 41–60% | 6 |
| 21–40% | 4 |
| 1–20% | 2 |
Read Also: TSC Chairperson, Commissioners and CEO: Who’s Currently Leading TSC
Age — 25 Marks
| Age | Marks |
|---|---|
| 57 years and above | 25 |
| 52–56 years | 20 |
| 47–51 years | 15 |
| 42–46 years | 10 |
| 41 years and below | 5 |
Age is verified against your official identification documents, so ensure your TSC records match your ID.
Co-Curricular Activities — 5 Marks
| Level of Participation | Marks |
|---|---|
| International | 5 |
| National | 4 |
| Regional | 3 |
| County | 2 |
| Sub-County | 1 |
Genuine certificates or letters confirming your role are required.
Documents to Carry to the Interview
- Original National ID card
- Original academic and professional certificates
- Current-grade appointment letter, payslip, or last promotion letter
- Administrative deployment or assignment letters, where applicable
- Performance Appraisal Reports for 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Any other testimonials supporting claimed marks
Read Also: TSC World Teachers’ Day Run 2026: How to Register for the Free 5km and 10km Marathon
What Happens Next?
After each interview, panel members individually score the candidate, and the “actual score” for each section is calculated as the average of the marks awarded by all panel members present. These section averages are summed to produce a candidate’s final score out of 100.
Final selection also has to account for gender balance, disability inclusion and regional diversity, alongside the raw interview score. The TSC Board provides overall oversight of the exercise and gives final approval to the successful candidates list, with an exit report due to the Board once the cycle concludes.
Important Things Readers Should Know
- Other promotion grades — including C2, C3, C5, D1 and Curriculum Support Officer positions, plus purely classroom-based (non-administrative) promotions — use different mark allocations. A classroom teacher moving up a job group without taking on headship duties is scored much more heavily on length of stay in the current grade and age, and does not use the 55-mark administrative/length-of-stay combination described above. Always confirm the score sheet issued for your exact advertised position.
- Meeting minimum eligibility does not guarantee promotion; shortlisting was done at a ratio of roughly three candidates for every vacancy, and the interview score determines the final outcome among shortlisted candidates.
- TSC has explicitly warned that the promotion exercise is free of charge and that canvassing, bribery, or paying brokers to “facilitate” a promotion will lead to automatic disqualification. Any suspected fraud should be reported to the nearest TSC office, TSC headquarters, or the police.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many marks are TSC promotion interviews scored out of?
Generally 100 marks, though the exact allocation across sections differs by grade and cadre.
What is the C4 (e.g., Deputy Headteacher II) marking scheme?
Academic qualifications (3), professional contribution (2), administrative responsibility and length of stay combined (55, split into 25 for administrative responsibility and 30 for length of stay), TPAD (10), age (25) and co-curricular activities (5).
Does length of stay in the current grade carry 25 or 30 marks?
For this grade type, length of stay in the current grade carries up to 30 marks — a separate scale from the 25-mark administrative responsibility score, together making up the 55-mark combined section.
How many marks does TPAD carry?
Up to 10 marks, based on your average TPAD rating over 2023–2025.
How many marks does age carry?
Up to 25 marks for this grade type, with teachers aged 57 and above scoring the maximum.
Is there one marking scheme for every TSC promotion position?
No. TSC has developed multiple grade-specific scoring guides, and classroom-teacher (non-administrative) promotions use a different structure that weights length of stay and age even more heavily.
Do I need to pay anything for the promotion process?
No. TSC has stated the exercise is free of charge, and anyone asking for payment to influence or expedite a promotion should be reported.
TSC promotion interview scoring guide 2026.
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