Candidates in classes eight and six have commenced their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams today.
The exercise has already begun across the country, with Education Ministry officials and test supervisors arriving at exam collection centers this morning.
The Kenya National Examination Council said all the exam materials and personnel, including supervisors, invigilators and security officers, have been dispatched.
At least 1.4 million candidates will be writing the last KCPE exams under the 8-4-4 curriculum that has been in place since 1985.
The system, which has been criticised for mounting pressure on students for grades, is being replaced with the Competency-Based-Curriculum.
During the official start of the KCPE and KPSEA National Examinations at the Kikuyu Township Primary School, Kiambu County. pic.twitter.com/ExZqeYPkog
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 30, 2023
The second cohort of candidates will also be writing the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KAPSEA) exams under CBC from this morning.
Cabinet Secretaries led by Education’s Ezekiel Machogu, Principal Secretaries, Knec and TSC officials will be deployed across the country to witness the opening of exam containers.
On Sunday, Njeng’ere said the multi-agency team on the exams has completed all the preparations to ensure the three-day tests are flawless.
The multi-agency team includes the Ministry of Education through Knec and Teachers service Commission, Ministry of Interior through the police, and Ministry of ICT through Communications Authority of Kenya.
Knec in collaboration with other state agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, said it has sealed all the loopholes.
The government has deployed some 60,000 police officers, with especial attention being given to insecurity-prone areas to ensure the exams are not disrupted.
“We have deployed a huge number of our security officers, in excess of 60,000 to work with Knec and other stakeholders in the management of exams,” Interior PS Raymond Omollo said.
The PS said they have set two main command centres – at Knec headquarters and Ministry of Interior – for coordination and response to any emergencies during the exams.
In the wake of the rains that could cause possible flooding in some areas, Knec said it will use helicopters to ferry the papers.
Education PS Belio Kipsang stated that the government has increased the number of examination collection centres to 60,000.
The PS said the government has released 205 vehicles for use by the officers to distribute the papers countrywide.
“We are ready for these examinations. All the exams that are required are in this country and all the assessment for KAPSEA and the last KCPE exams are all in our containers,” the PS said.
“We have taken adequate measures to ensure that even as they pick the papers, they have been facilitated adequately,” Kipsang said.
The KCPE exams will be administered in 28, 532 centres while KPSEA will be done across 32, 586 centres.
The Teachers Service Commission has deployed 223,223 teachers as supervisors and invigilators with another 71,766 being centre managers for the national examinations.
Macharia warned the teachers’ employer would not hesitate to take stern action against any tutor found guilty of abetting exam cheating.
