STORY BY KENYA NEWS AGENCY
Teachers from Gucha and Sameta Subcounties in Kisii County gathered at Tendere Secondary School for a crucial briefing ahead of the upcoming national examinations.
The event, which was attended by primary, junior, and secondary school heads, was led by Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) officers Maureen Salim and Pharis Baaru.
With the examination season fast approaching, the session focused on the administration of the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The briefing served as a comprehensive guide for school administrators, outlining key dates, procedures, and new changes to the examination process.
Baaru, one of the lead officers from KNEC, emphasised the importance of meticulous preparation, urging school principals to take their roles as centre managers seriously.
He said as the custodians of the examination process, principals were reminded to play a critical role in ensuring the integrity and smooth administration of the exams.
The first exam on the calendar, KPSEA, will be administered to Grade 6 students.
The exams are scheduled to begin on October 28, with candidates required to go through rehearsals on October 25.
During the three-day exam period, which will conclude on October 30, candidates will sit for their papers starting at 8.30 a.m with the last session ending at 12.10 p.m. each day.
To ensure smooth collection and distribution of examination papers, containers will be opened at 6 a.m. daily, allowing schools ample time to receive their materials before the exams commence.
KILEA which is set to start on October 28 and run until October 31, is aimed at learners in the intermediate level who are transitioning to the pre-vocational stage.
As with KPSEA, students will be required to attend rehearsals a day earlier, on October 27, to familiarise themselves with the examination environment and procedures. KCSE, the most anticipated exam for secondary school students, will begin with rehearsals on October 18 with oral exams set to kick off on October 22, while the written papers will commence on October 31.
KCSE examination period is expected to run for almost a month, concluding on November 22.
A significant portion of the briefing was dedicated to outlining new measures and security protocols for this year’s exams.
One of the notable changes reported about the exam papers is KCSE exam will be packaged in colour-coded cartons-blue straps, for the morning session and black straps for the afternoon session.
“This new packaging system aims to eliminate confusion during the collection of exam materials from the containers,” Baaru said.
He said exam papers will contain student details, including their names and index numbers, a change expected to reduce the chances of exam malpractice.
“In previous years, only answer sheets had such information, while question papers were generic,” Baaru said.
He further said the modification was aimed at curbing impersonation and other forms of cheating, ensuring each student received the correct paper. Security at examination centres will also be tightened; mobile phones will be completely banned from the examination centres.
“Unlike in past years where phones belonging to teachers and other staff were placed under the supervision of the centre manager, this year they will be kept in a locker managed by the center supervisor,” he said.
The change is said to apply not only to teachers but also to supervisors, invigilators, and even security personnel. Salim, a KNEC official, said for KPSEA exams, security officers would only be required during the transportation of exam materials to and from the exam centres.
“Once the materials are inside the examination rooms, no security officers will be stationed there,” she said.
In contrast, KCSE centres will have two security officers assigned to each centre throughout the entire examination period.
The shift to online attendance forms, which will replace the manual declaration forms previously used is another change that is expected.
The online forms will record attendance and be used to generate payments for examination officers.
“This digitisation effort is part of KNEC’s broader strategy to streamline the examination process and reduce paperwork that is prone to error and omission,” Salim said.
The briefing addressed the logistical challenges of handling examination materials with school principals, who act as centre managers during the exams.
They were reminded that containers housing the exam papers would be opened at 7 a.m. for KCSE, allowing enough time for the distribution of the first session’s papers which will run from 8 to 1 a.m.
After the morning session, answer scripts must be returned to the container by 12:30 p.m. to facilitate the collection of materials for the afternoon session, which will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Salim urged Subcounty Directors of Education to prioritise schools located farther from the collection centres to ensure they have enough time to receive their exam materials and begin their sessions on time.
This he said is important for rural schools, which may face logistical difficulties due to long distances and poor road conditions.
The list of accredited personnel allowed inside examination centres was also clearly outlined during the briefing. In addition to centre manager and deputy principal, only invigilators, cooks and gatekeepers would be permitted in the examination centres.
Science teachers and lab technicians would only be permitted during practical papers.
Salim said the step is intended to prevent unauthorised individuals from accessing examination materials or influencing the exam process.
Teachers were reminded of their role in preparing students both academically and psychologically for the exams.
While the content of the exams is designed to test the curriculum, it was stressed that students should be encouraged to approach the exams with confidence.
“The exams are not hard,” Baaru said, urging teachers to be a positive influence on their students and to avoid creating unnecessary anxiety around the process.
As the briefing came to a close, Gucha Subcounty Director of Education David Akhalea assured the teachers they would have the full support of the education office throughout the examination period.
He said all necessary preparations had been made, and the subcounty was ready to administer the exams efficiently and fairly.
Representatives from the security agencies present at the briefing put forth their commitment to ensuring safety and integrity of the examination process.
Gucha Assistant County Commissioner Charles Korir wished the candidates the best of luck, encouraging them to put their best foot forward and reminding them exams were a stepping stone to their future.
With just weeks to go before the start of the exams, the teachers left the briefing feeling reassured that the necessary measures had been put in place to ensure a smooth examination period.
The planning, stringent security measures, and clear guidelines laid out by KNEC reflected the council’s commitment to upholding the integrity of Kenya’s national exams and ensuring every candidate gets a fair opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.