Exam officials defy rains to deliver papers to centres

Exam officials on Monday defied heavy rains to distribute materials in readiness for the KCSE examinations, which start on Wednesday.

As the distribution was going on, the 336,633 candidates were rehearsing for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

The Form Four exams start on Wednesday and end on November 16.

As a rule, exam papers are delivered to police armouries two days before the start of the national examinations. Until last year, the papers used to be delivered two weeks in advance.

The shortened time is meant to reduce the chances of unscrupulous officers leaking the contents to candidates, their teachers or parents.

The decision was reached after extensive investigations commissioned by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec), which established that a cartel based in Mombasa had been selling genuine exam papers since 1999.

Carrying notes

On Monday, the Nation found details of 120 schools where cheating was detected in last year’s Form Four examinations. In all, 1,419 candidates had their exam results cancelled over irregularities last year.

Of these, 650 were penalised for carrying notes to exam rooms with an intention to reproduce them. Another 524 were caught colluding with their colleagues to cheat and 159 candidates were caught with mobile phones in the exam rooms, although the gadgets had been banned from exam centres, even for teachers.

Eleven people were caught impersonating candidates while 23 candidates provided invalid registration documents.

According to Knec documents, Coast Province had the highest number of irregularities, with 30 schools affected. Eastern was second with 20 schools and Rift Valley third with 19. Nyanza had 15 schools, Nairobi 10 and Central 10.

The results of several private centres were also cancelled countrywide.

This year, the examination council has said it stepped up the campaign to reduce the number of cases of cheating. Council chairman Raphael Munavu said all government arms had worked together to ensure the exams were well administered.

Education permanent secretary Karega Mutahi said the number of monitors for the examinations had been increased.

In a supplement published elsewhere in Tuesday’s issue of the Daily Nation, Education minister Sam Ongeri warns that any cheating will result in the cancellation of exam results.

Various countries

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) candidates will sit their tests between November 9 and 11. A total of 727,217 candidates will be sitting the exams. Among them will be 680 pupils of South Sudan who will sit the exams between November 11 and 17.

Last year, 64 KCPE exam centres had their examination results cancelled due to irregularities.

This year, observers for the national examinations have been drawn from various countries to ensure the local exams conform to international standards.

Prof Munavu also said the pay for examiners had been increased.