The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has laid down new rules to govern the 2017 KCPE and KCSE exams.
In a press statement, KNEC warned against late registration of candidates highlighting that no school would be allowed to submit names of their students after February 28.
The council stated that no private exam centres would be allowed to register less than 15 candidates.
KNEC acting Chief Executive Gathigia Karogo mentioned that this was in a bid to curb the mushrooming private centres which only register bright students.
The exam body noted that centres with less than 15 students must either register with another institution or be hosted in the sub-county as private candidates.
KNEC added that only special schools and prisons will be having less than 15 candidates.
The council pointed out that students who wish to resit the exams must seek permission in writing from the sub-county director of education.
According to KNEC, only students who sat for KCPE in 2016, and not a year before would be allowed to re-sit the exams while KCSE repeaters must not have exceeded three years from the time they last took the exams.
Pupils seeking to repeat were instructed to "join the class as a full-time learner before the end of the first term in 2017".
Mr Karogo added that no new class would be opened to accommodate repeaters, insisting that the limit of 50 pupils per class should not be exceeded.
KNEC confirmed that KCSE candidates repeating seven subjects or more could do so as many times as they wished as long as they met the laid down regulations.
"Anyone taking less than seven subjects is not allowed to introduce any new subject that they did not sit for in the last attempt. The candidates can sit for a minimum of one subject and a maximum of six," Karogo said.
