1.4m set to sit national tests, says exam council

More than 1.4 million candidates are set to sit this year’s national examinations, it was announced on Friday.

Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) Secretary Joseph Kivilu said they had registered 937,467 candidates for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and 525,802 for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams.

This is a rise from 485,547 candidates, who sat the Form Four test in 2014, and 889,163 who did the KCPE exam.

The Standard Eight exam will start on November 10 and end on November 12, while KCSE theory papers start on October 12, nine days earlier than the tradition in which the Form Four tests usually begin a day after Mashujaa Day.

The KCSE assessment for oral and practical examinations is scheduled to begin on September 28.

Technical and Business examination will begin on November 18, while Early Childhood Development Education certificate and diploma examinations will start on December 8.

Knec chairman Kabiru Kinyanjui ruled out the postponement of the examinations.

This comes amid concerns over the candidates’ level of preparedness in the wake of the ongoing teachers’ strike.

“We ask the teachers to help in administering examinations because the students have prepared for a long time. The teachers should give candidates space to sit for the papers peacefully. We do not want them to miss this lifetime opportunity,” said Prof Kinyanjui, during the launch at Mitihani House in Nairobi.

Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said the examinations would continue as scheduled, adding that they had provided enough security for the 25,140 examination centres.

“We have put enough logistics to ensure that the examinations go on interrupted, the pay dispute notwithstanding. Preparations for the dispatch of examination papers to the drop-off points are being finalised,” said Dr Kipsang.

The Education PS cautioned candidates against cheating.