- Knec CEO David Njengere presented a report to the National Assembly Committee on Education on Wednesday.
- "The processing of 2023 KCPE examination results took the longest number of days in the last eight-year period," the Knec boss said.
Image: FILE
The Kenya National Examination Council has refuted claims that the processing of the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination was rushed.
Knec CEO David Njengere in a report presented to the National Assembly Committee on Education on Wednesday said the processing of the 2023 KCPE exam was longer compared to other years since 2016.
"The processing of 2023 KCPE examination results took the longest number of days in the last eight-year period," the Knec boss said.
"Thus, the processing of the 2023 KCPE examination results was not rushed in any way and was undertaken as per the KNEC processing timelines for processing the KCPE examination."
Njengere noted that before the reforms made in 2016, the processing of the KCPE examination results was done after the administration of both KCPE and KCSE examinations running between mid-November and completed by December 24.
The release would take place after Christmas festivities, before New Year.
The entire processing period would take approximately five weeks (35 days).
He said reforms that the Ministry of Education implemented in 2016 created an exclusive examination period when all students except candidates would proceed for holidays in November.
"The KCPE examination was timetabled for administration before the KCSE examination. Processing of the KCPE examination commences immediately after candidates sit the last paper," he explained.
According to the report, it took 21 days to process KCPE in 2016.
It took 19 days to process the same exam in 2017 and 18 days in 2018.
In 2019, KCPE was processed in 19 days and 21 days in 2020.
In 2021 it took 19 days to process KCPE while in 2022 it took 21 days.
It took Knec 22 days to process 2023 KCPE exam.
Further, Njengere highlighted what Knec undertakes while processing the exam.
He said first there is a document reading of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) answer sheets using the OMR Machines.
"Marking of the English Composition, Kiswahili Insha, Kenyan Sign Language Composition and papers for learners with Visual and Hearing Impairment is by examiners," Njengere said.
Then there is confirmation of the KCPE examination answers for MCQ by a panel of subject experts.
Njengere said Knec then reads and analyses the examination administration field and marks reports.
"These are Supervisors’ reports, Centre Managers reports, Chief Examiners’ reports, monitoring officers reports and other field reports/letters," he said.
"We then handle cases of candidates who experience hardship during examination - Special Needs, medical and any other genuine issue that affected a candidate."
He said the results are then validated before the release date.