KCPE exam to start after three-week strike delay

More than 800,000 Class Eight pupils will sit their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination starting on Tuesday.

The candidates will on Monday conduct rehearsals in 22, 783 schools countrywide, according the revised timetable released by the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec).

The three-day examination will end on Thursday, and results will be released on January 25, in a departure from the tradition of announcing them on December 28.

This year’s KCPE examination has been delayed because of a three-week disruption of the school calendar by a countrywide teachers’ strike.

The action to press the government into increasing teachers’ salaries threw teaching and learning programmes in schools into a disarray, forcing the extension of term dates.

Historically, pupils write the KCPE examination in November when candidates sit five papers including English, Kiswahili, Maths, Science and Social Studies and Religious Education.

Knec boss Paul Wasanga said marking of the KCPE papers will start on December 10 with the coordination of English Composition and Kiswahili Insha examiners .

“Live marking commences from December 17 to 24. Some 6,904 examiners have been invited to take part in the marking,” Mr Wasanga said. 

The 820,255 candidates will write the examination under a new law that will see exam cheaters spend up to 10 years in prison or be fined up to Sh2 million.

Those who leak exams face similar penalties, as well as those possessing unathorised exam materials in the exam rooms.

Other offences that attract heavy fines in the new law include impersonation, copying, presenting forged identification documents and damaging exam materials.

Knec has also made plans for candidates from schools affected by the Tana Delta clashes to sit the exams in nearby schools.

The primary schools affected by the clashes include Riketa, Ozi, Shirikisho, Chamwanamuma, Semicaro, Kikomo, Nduru, Hadaraku, Kipao and Galili.

About 250 candidates from these schools who had been displaced are expected to sit the exams in other centres.

“The headteachers of these schools were required to make a report to the District Education Officers who, in turn, were to report to Knec for arrangements to be made for the displaced candidates to sit exams in the areas they have relocated to,” Mr Wasanga noted.

Only three secondary schools in the area were deserted – Ngao, Tarasaa and Kipini.

Some 437,782 candidates, about half the 820,255 Standard Eight pupils who will sit the KCPE, completed their KCSE examinations last month under a revised timetable as well.