Career advice ยท Updated November 2026
TSC Recruitment November 2026: 7,720 Teacher Jobs, Apply by 23 November
The TSC recruitment November 2026 round is open: the Teachers Service Commission is hiring 7,720 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms to replace teachers who have left the service through natural attrition. There are 5,609 primary school posts, 2,086 secondary school posts and 25 junior school posts. Applications are online only and close at midnight on Monday 23 November 2026. This guide covers who can apply, where the vacancies are, how the selection panels score you, and what to prepare before the interview call.
Checked on 14 November 2026 against the TSC advertisement of 10 November 2026, the TSC circular on recruitment of primary school teachers (Ref. TSC/ADM/192A, dated 21 October 2026), the post-primary recruitment guidelines and Appendices 1 to 3 on the TSC current adverts downloads page.
TSC recruitment November 2026 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total posts | 7,720 replacement vacancies, permanent and pensionable |
| Primary schools | 5,609 posts (Appendix 1, by county and sub-county) |
| Secondary schools | 2,086 posts (Appendix 3, by school and subject combination) |
| Junior schools | 25 posts (Appendix 2, by sub-county) |
| Portal opened | Tuesday 10 November 2026 |
| Deadline | Midnight, Monday 23 November 2026 |
| How to apply | Online only, through the Careers section of tsc.go.ke or the teachers online portal |
| Cost | Free. TSC warns against anyone asking for money to “help” with recruitment |
These posts replace teachers who exit the service. They are separate from the additional intake of teachers the government has said it will recruit to expand the workforce, so do not assume this is the only round of the financial year.
Who can apply
The advertisement sets three minimum requirements:
- You must be a Kenyan citizen.
- For primary school posts you need at least a P1 certificate. For junior school and secondary school posts you need at least a Diploma in Education.
- You must be registered as a teacher with TSC. The primary guidelines repeat this under Section 23(1) of the TSC Act, 2012: applicants who are not registered will not be considered.
If your qualification is an equivalent rather than the exact certificate named, TSC asks you to check its equivalence list on tsc.go.ke before applying. The primary guidelines list the accepted routes, including the Bachelor of Education (Primary Option) with a KCSE mean of C+, the Bachelor of Education (Secondary Option) or Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education together with a P1 certificate, the DPTE or upgraded DPTE, and the PTE certificate. If you are not yet registered, sort that out first; our TSC teacher recruitment guide explains registration and the general process.
Where the vacancies are
Primary posts are allocated by sub-county, so you apply for the county or sub-county where a vacancy has been declared. By region, Appendix 1 shows Rift Valley with 1,303 primary posts, Eastern 1,051, Western 903, Nyanza 881, Central 508, Coast 500, North Eastern 334 and Nairobi 129.
| Counties with the most primary posts | Posts |
|---|---|
| Kakamega | 389 |
| Kitui | 337 |
| Bungoma | 296 |
| Narok | 256 |
| Kisumu | 240 |
| Kilifi | 206 |
| Turkana | 198 |
| Nyandarua | 170 |
At the other end, Isiolo has 16 primary posts, Elgeyo Marakwet 17, Uasin Gishu 32 and Bomet 33. County totals hide big differences between sub-counties, so check your own sub-county line in Appendix 1 rather than relying on the county total.
Secondary posts are listed school by school with the subject combination needed, for example Maths/Physics or Biology/Chemistry. The largest county allocations in Appendix 3 are Murang’a (133), Kiambu (123), Nyeri (113), Nakuru (100), Kakamega (96) and Bungoma (90); Nairobi has 68. Your subject combination must match a listed vacancy, so search the appendix for your combination before you apply.
The 25 junior school posts are scattered across sub-counties such as Gatundu North, Ruiru, Msambweni, Masinga, Bondo, Marigat and Bungoma South. Unlike the other posts, teachers hired for these junior school vacancies are posted to the specific schools where the vacancies arose.
How to apply step by step
- Download the appendix for your level and confirm there is a vacancy in your target sub-county (primary) or for your subject combination at a named school (secondary).
- Log in through the Careers section of tsc.go.ke or the teachers online portal using your TSC details.
- Complete one application for employment form. TSC says completing more than one form leads to disqualification.
- Check every field against your certificates. The primary guidelines warn that any offer obtained using misleading information will be cancelled.
- Submit before midnight on 23 November 2026. Manual applications will not be considered.
How the selection panels score you
Sub-county selection panels, made up of the TSC Sub-County Director, a human resource officer and a curriculum support officer, verify documents and score each applicant on a 100-point sheet.
Primary school score sheet
| Area | Maximum | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifications | 5 | Class of degree or diploma, or P1 points (6 to 28 points earns 5, 29 to 50 earns 3, 51 to 64 earns 2) |
| Age | 20 | 50 and above 20; 47 to 49 15; 44 to 46 10; 43 and below 5 |
| Length of stay since qualifying | 75 | 2010 or earlier 75, falling to 54 for 2015, 34 for 2020 and 10 for 2026 |
Length of stay dominates the primary score. A teacher who qualified in 2012 starts with 66 points for that line alone, against 14 for someone who qualified in 2025. Where applicants tie, the guidelines break the tie by length of stay since graduation, then quality of academic certificates, then professional certificates presented.
Secondary (post-primary) score sheet
For post-primary posts, experience as a TSC intern carries the most weight: 70 points if you have served continuously as an intern with the Commission in the sub-county for 12 months or more, and 50 points if continuously for less than 12 months. Length of stay since qualifying is worth up to 20 points (2010 or earlier earns 20, dropping by one point a year to 4 for 2026), and qualifications and age make up the rest of the 100. TSC counts the year you satisfactorily qualified as a teacher under its policies, not the date printed on a certificate.
Preference rules worth knowing
- Preference goes to applicants who have not previously been employed by TSC on permanent and pensionable terms.
- For primary posts, preference goes first to applicants from the sub-county, then the county, then other counties.
- At least 5% of the advertised posts are reserved for teachers with disabilities, who should attach disability status and the nature of the disability. Disability is scored on a separate sheet.
- Successful candidates may be posted to any part of the country, not necessarily where they were interviewed (junior school replacement posts excepted).
- Merit lists from this exercise will be used for later recruitment within the 2026/2027 financial year, so a good ranking can still pay off if you miss the first cut.
Documents to have ready for verification
Shortlisted applicants are invited by SMS at least seven days before the verification date. Bring originals and clear copies of:
- National identity card and TSC certificate of registration
- Professional certificates (degree, diploma, P1 or equivalent) and the KCSE certificate, including re-sit certificates if you sat KCSE more than once
- KCPE certificate, KNEC letter of certification where applicable, and primary and secondary school leaving certificates
- NCPWD card, where applicable
- An affidavit sworn under the Oaths and Statutory Declarations Act if your names differ across documents
If you cancelled or re-sat an exam, the guidelines also ask for certified copies of the results for all attempts or a letter from your former head of institution with a KNEC printout. If you have been teaching in a private school, our teacher CV guide helps you present that experience, and you can rehearse with our TSC teacher interview questions.
Avoid these common mistakes
- Applying where there is no vacancy. The primary guidelines say applications go to the county or sub-county where a vacancy has been declared. Check Appendix 1 first.
- Wrong subject combination. Secondary vacancies name the exact combination; a Geography/CRE teacher cannot fill a Maths/Chemistry slot.
- Two forms. One form only, or you risk disqualification.
- Paying anyone. TSC states the exercise is free of charge and warns against fraudsters. Report anyone who asks for money.
- Leaving it to the last night. The portal closes at midnight on 23 November; submitting early leaves time to fix errors or login problems.
For other public jobs open now, see our government recruitment tracker and the TSC jobs page.
Frequently asked questions
When does the TSC recruitment November 2026 close?
Applications close at midnight on Monday 23 November 2026. The online portal opened on Tuesday 10 November 2026, and manual applications are not accepted.
How many teachers is TSC hiring in November 2026?
7,720 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms: 5,609 in primary schools, 2,086 in secondary schools and 25 in junior schools, all replacing teachers who left the service through natural attrition.
What are the minimum requirements?
You must be a Kenyan citizen registered with TSC, with at least a P1 certificate for primary posts or at least a Diploma in Education for junior and secondary posts.
How are primary applicants scored?
On a 100-point sheet: up to 5 points for qualifications, up to 20 for age and up to 75 for length of stay since qualifying, so teachers who qualified earlier score much higher.
Do TSC interns get extra points for secondary posts?
Yes. Under the post-primary guidelines, serving continuously as a TSC intern in the sub-county for 12 months or more earns 70 points, and under 12 months earns 50 points, out of 100.