New mid-year KCSE exams for repeaters, absent candidates
A Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education invigilator collects English Paper One from 385 candidates from Nakuru High on November 4, 2024. There were no reported hiccups during the start of this year’s examination in Nakuru County.
What you need to know:
- Education CS said the government through the Ministry of Education is modernising its assessment tools for visually impaired candidates by integrating Orbit Readers into the KCSE examination process.
- This initiative will phase out the traditional Braille machines, aligning Kenya's examination system with global best practices.
Candidates who wish to repeat their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations and those who missed the national test do not have to wait until the end of the year for a re-sit.
This follows an announcement by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba that the government has introduced a mid-year KCSE examinations series, starting this year.
Speaking during the release of the 2024 KCSE exams, at the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) headquarters in Nairobi on January 9, Mr Ogamba revealed that the mid-year KCSE series, set will be administered every July, targeting candidates who wish to retake the examination.
“Starting this year, and following extensive stakeholder consultations, I wish to announce that Knec will introduce a midyear series of the KCSE examination, to be administered in July every year.
"The examination will target candidates wishing to repeat the KCSE examination, and those who may have missed sitting an examination due to sickness or other unexpected hardships. Adult candidates may also consider registering for the July KCSE series examination,” said Mr Ogamba.
Further, he said that the government through the Ministry of Education is modernising its assessment tools for visually impaired candidates by integrating Orbit Readers into the KCSE examination process.
This initiative will phase out the traditional Braille machines, aligning Kenya's examination system with global best practices.
“As part of aligning our examination processes with best global assessment practices, the Ministry is working on integrating the use of Orbit Readers, and phase out Braille machines, in the administration of the KCSE examination to candidates with visual impairments,” he said.
Knec CEO David Njeng’ere announced that the final KCSE examination under the 8-4-4 structure will be administered in 2027. He urged the public, especially those wishing to retake the exam fully or partially, to take advantage of the remaining opportunities to do so before the system transitions.
“I wish to remind the public that the last KCSE examination will be administered in 2027. Any person wishing to repeat fully or partially should take advantage of the remaining chances to do so,” he said.
This initiative follows other strategies introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2024 when candidates experienced personalized examination papers for the first time. The Knec implemented measures to ensure each paper was unique to an individual candidate.
Additionally, the Ministry enforced the rotation of supervisors and banned the use of phones by invigilators, center managers, and candidates during exams to uphold the integrity of the examination process.
The 2024 exams were administered from October 22 to November 22, 2024, and the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (were held from October 28 to November 1, 2024.
