The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) on Sunday, October 26, issued a final set of guidelines ahead of the start of the 2025 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), set to kick off on Monday.
KNEC confirmed in a statement that the two assessments would run concurrently with the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which is currently in week two.
As per the rules, containers holding examination papers for KPSEA and KJSEA should be opened at 6am, while KCSE containers will be officially opened at 7am across the country.
Further, mobile phones belonging to personnel at an examination centre will need to be locked up as a requirement, with the key set to be in the supervisor's possession.
Another key requirement is that all centre managers should have an approved list of authorised persons within the examination centre. These individuals must carry national identification cards for verification.
The council also warned supervisors against making the critical error of opening examination packets before time, potentially leading to mix-ups.
The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) is scheduled to take place from October 27 to October 30. The four-day examination is meant for Grade 6 learners and is part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), which targets learners with special needs at the intermediate level, will run from October 27 to October 31.
Elsewhere, the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) and the Kenya Pre-Vocational Level Education Assessment (KPLEA) will be conducted over a nine-day period, starting on October 27 and concluding on November 6. These exams are particularly critical in measuring the progress of learners under the CBC, to guide their transitions to the next grades.
In the build-up to the national exams, there was a wave of uncertainty over whether assessments would take place, particularly after a lengthy back-and-forth between the government and schools over the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).
Last week, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba quickly assured the country of a smooth examination process, reiterating that the government was fully prepared both logistically and administratively.
