The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has officially released the timetable for the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) oral and practical examinations, which begin this week.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, KNEC confirmed that the first phase of the KCSE will run from October 21 to October 27, 2025, covering language-based and performance-oriented subjects such as French, German, Kenyan Sign Language, Arabic, and Music (Practical).
KNEC emphasised that all examination centres must ensure full preparedness in logistics, supervision, and security to guarantee a smooth process. The council noted that this phase sets the tone for the larger written examinations scheduled to follow in November.
According to KNEC CEO Dr. David Njengere, a total of 996,078 candidates are expected to sit the 2025 KCSE exams. To manage the exercise, the council will deploy 10,765 centre managers, 12,126 supervisors, 54,782 invigilators, 22,247 security officers, and 2,692 drivers to support logistics especially in regions affected by poor road conditions or heavy rains.
KNEC Chairperson Prof. Julius Nyabudi assured Kenyans that preparations are complete, stressing that fairness and transparency remain central to the examination process.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba issued a stern warning against exam malpractice, saying, “We will have no mercy on anyone found engaging in any form of cheating. All candidates, centre managers, supervisors, and invigilators must comply with the regulations or face the full force of the law.”
This year, 1,298,089 candidates will sit for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and 1,130,669 for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), marking a busy season for the national examinations body.
KNEC concluded by wishing all candidates success and urged them to approach the exams with integrity and discipline.
