The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has issued strict guidelines ahead of the start of the 2025 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), set to begin on Monday.
The directive comes as the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination enters its second week across the country. In a statement released on Sunday, KNEC reminded field officers, centre managers, and supervisors of the protocols governing the administration of national exams to safeguard their integrity.
According to the new instructions, examination containers will be opened at 6:00 a.m. for both KPSEA and KJSEA, while KCSE materials will be accessed at 7:00 a.m.. This measure aims to streamline the distribution process and minimize delays in examination centres.
KNEC further ordered that all mobile phones belonging to personnel within examination centres must be locked away during the exam period. The supervisor will hold the key to the storage area to prevent any unauthorized communication that could compromise exam integrity.
Additionally, centre managers are required to maintain an approved list of authorised personnel, all of whom must carry their national identification cards for verification. This is intended to ensure that only legitimate officials are present at examination venues.
Supervisors have also been cautioned to verify that they open the correct examination packets for each session to avoid mix-ups or administrative errors.
KNEC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. David Njengere, confirmed that over 3.4 million candidates will sit for the three national examinations this year. He expressed confidence in the council’s logistical readiness, emphasizing that all security systems have been reinforced to guarantee a smooth and credible exercise.
“As the administration of the Grade 6 KPSEA and Grade 9 KJSEA summative assessments begin tomorrow, I wish all the candidates success,” Dr. Njengere said.
