As the third term quickly comes to an end, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the timetable for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
The timetable published on Wednesday also outlines tough penalties for students, teachers and invigilators who may be involved in any irregularities whatsoever.
The examinations are expected to begin on Friday, October 25 with the assessment tests being a crucial part of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). The exams mark the completion of Grade 6 education for CBC students across the nation.
The candidates will begin with rehearsals on Friday, October 25, then followed by the main examination, which will be administered from Monday, October 28 to Wednesday, October 30.
On Monday, October 28, the students will sit for Mathematics and English papers, Kiswahili and Integrated Science. Sign Language tests will be done on Tuesday, October 29, and to mark the end of the examinations, the students will sit for Creative Arts & Social studies on Wednesday, October 30.
To combat the numerous cases of exam irregularities, KNEC has outlined strict measures and penalties for exam offenders. Students stand the chance of having the results of a subject canceled.
"The KNEC Act No. 29 of 2012 Offences and Penalties stated in Sections 27 to 40 for cases of assessment irregularities will apply," read part of the notice.
An entire examination center stands a chance of having its results canceled if there is evidence of widespread irregularities.
According to the notice, Kenyans risk paying a fine of Ksh 2 million or two years imprisonment if they gain access to the assessment material and reveal its content whether orally or in writing, to an unauthorized party, whether a candidate or not.
"In violation of Section 27 of the KNEC Act and the penalty will be imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or a fine not exceeding Ksh 2 million or both", reads part of the notice.
Additionally, anyone who willfully and maliciously damages assessment material will be subjected to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding Ksh 5 million or both.
The examining body is also targeting Kenyans who plan to impersonate candidates or sit for the exams and are not registered to take a KNEC assessment. Anyone found engaging in such practice will be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding Ksh 2 Million or both.
They shall also be prohibited from taking an assessment conducted by or on behalf of the Council for three years. According to the Examining body, these penalties also apply to the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
KPSEA was introduced as part of Kenya's shift to CBC, which emphasizes skill acquisition and practical knowledge over traditional exam-based learning. It replaced the previous system that ended with the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
KPSEA provides feedback on student's performance in various subjects, helping educators identify areas for improvement and ensuring that the education system nurtures a broad range of skills.
