The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has introduced new guidelines aimed at protecting the credibility of the 2025 national examinations. Speaking during the official launch of the exam season, KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere said the measures are designed to curb malpractice and ensure learners sit their tests in a secure environment.
Among the key changes is the continued use of double collection of KCSE papers, where scripts for the second session are only released shortly before the scheduled exam. This approach has been instrumental in preventing early exposure and exam leaks.
To tighten security further, 25 new storage containers have been installed across the country, raising the total to 642. Of these, 250 will be fitted with digital smart padlocks, a pilot project that allows real-time government oversight of storage sites. Officers in charge of these containers will receive specialized training on their use.
The government will also deploy two police officers at each KCSE examination centre to ensure safety, while primary exam centres will only have officers in sensitive areas. In addition, KNEC and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) will assign only vetted teachers of high integrity as supervisors and invigilators. All field officers and centre managers will undergo mandatory sensitisation sessions from October 6 to 9.
To enhance coordination, KNEC will establish a call command centre, which will operate round the clock during the examination period.
The new measures will also extend to School-Based Assessments (SBAs), where schools must upload results for Grades 4, 5, 7, and 8. These scores will form part of learners’ final KPSEA and KJSEA results.
The 2025 national examinations will run from October 17 to November 21, 2025, with 3,424,836 candidates registered across KCSE, KPSEA, and the inaugural KJSEA under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
