THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
BRIEFING AND SENSITIZATION NOTES FOR FIELD OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE 2025 KPSEA; KJSEA; AND KCSE EXAMINATION
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Kenya National Examinations Council takes this early opportunity to thank you all for the various roles you have played in the past towards successful administration and management of 2024 National examinations and assessments.
1.1 Objectives of the briefing and sensitization sessions:
The key objective of the sessions is to disseminate information on innovations that have been put in place and any emerging issues regarding:
1.1.1 Daily management and conduct of examination and assessments;
1.1.2 New format of shading the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) forms
1.1.3 Recruitment, Deployment and responsibilities of field officers; 1.1.4 Quality assurance during National Examinations and Assessments;
1.1.5 Security of Examinations and Assessments.
1.2 Key Dates
| S/No | Examination | Rehearsal Date | Start Date | End Date |
| 1.2.1 | Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) | 17th October, 2025 | 21st October 2025 | 21st November 2025 |
| 1.2.2 | Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) | 24th October, 2025 | 27th October, 2025 | 3rd November, 2025 |
| 1.2.3 | Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) | 24th October, 2025 | 27th October, 2025 | 29th October, 2025 |
| 1.2.4 | Kenya Pre-Vocational Leaners Education Assessment (KPLEA) | 24th October, 2025 | 27th October, 2025 | 30th October, 2025 |
| 1.2.5 | Kenya Intermediate learners Education Assessment (KILEA) | 25th October, 2025 | 28th October, 2025 | 30th October, 2025 |
2.0 REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES
2.1 The registration of candidates for the 2025 KPSEA, KJSEA and KCSE examination was undertaken from 29th January to 28th March 2025. All candidates duly registered will appear in the attendance register.
2.2 The candidates will have personalized question papers. Any unique case that may arise during the administration of the assessments and examination should be communicated to KNEC through the call Centre (0800 721410, 0800 724900) for further direction.
2.3 No candidate should be added to the attendance register without direct authority from the KNEC CEO.
3.0 DISPATCH OF EXAMINATION MATERIALS TO THE CONTAINERS
3.1 KNEC will communicate to SCDEs on dates of dispatch of examination materials on weekly basis. KCSE examination Group IV projects will be collected by the KNEC officers delivering administration materials. Orals and Practical papers materials will be collected with KPSEA and KJSEA assessment materials.
3.2 It is important for SCDEs to ensure that KPSEA and KJSEA materials are stored distinctly in the containers at the point of receipt.
3.3 The Boxes are clearly labelled with the date and session of the examination and therefore the correct boxes should be identified before opening.
| S/No | Examination /Assessment | Box Label | Box Strap | Opaque Poly Bag Session 1 | Opaque Poly Bag Session 2 |
| 4.2.1 | KPSEA | Red | White | Brown / gold | Pink |
| 4.2.2 | KJSEA | Green | White | Blue | Green |
| 4.2.3 | KCSE | White | Blue | No opaque | No opaque |
| Yellow | Black | No opaque | No opaque |
4.0 COLLECTION OF EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENTS MATERIALS FROM DISTRIBUTION POINTS
4.1 As guided by the timetables, the KPSEA and KJSEA materials for each assessment day will be collected from the containers once in the morning while KCSE examination materials will be collected twice a day.
The time for opening the containers is as shown in the table below:
| S/No. | Examination /Assessment | Session | Opening Time for Containers | Administration period |
| 4.1.1 | KPSEA | All sessions | 6.00 a.m. | Between 8.30 a.m. and 12.10 p.m. |
| 4.1.2 | KJSEA | All sessions | 6.00 a.m. | Between 8.30 a.m. and 1.20-1.40 p.m. |
| 4.1.3 | KCSE examination | Morning | 7.00 a.m. | Between 8.00 and 11.00 a.m. |
| Afternoon | 12.30 p.m. | Between 2.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. |
4.2 Priority in the issuance of assessment and examination materials should be given to Centre Managers of schools located far from the container.
All Centre Managers should vet and sign for the materials collected.
4.3 The KCSE Centre Managers must be escorted by security officers to the examination Centres and each centre provided with security officers.
4.4 KJSEA / KPSEA Centre Managers will not be escorted by security officers, unless the Centres are in areas declared to be insecure.
5.0 HANDLING MATERIALS AT THE EXAMINATION / ASSESSMENT CENTRE
5.1 All examination / assessment papers must be taken in examination centres and written in the designated examination rooms. In addition, they should be supervised and invigilated by the personnel deployed by KNEC. Candidates who were suspended/expelled or convicted after registering in the schools need to have a conducive environment to sit their examinations.
5.2 The packets shall be opened 5 minutes before the start time as indicated on the timetable.
5.3 The following materials are personalized:
5.3.1 All question papers for KCSE examination;
5.3.2 All OMRs for KPSEA / KJSEA;
5.4 Some materials for KJSEA will be personalized while others are NOT. The following is the format of KJSEA materials:
| NO | Code | Paper Name | Paper Structure | Materials expected |
| 1 | 901/1 | English Language | Multiple Choice Questions Only | QPs and OMR sheets No Perforation |
| 2 | 901/2 | English (Composition & Literary Analysis) | Structured Only | No OMRs Personalised question papers, with perforation |
| 3 | 902/1 | Kiswahili Lugha | Multiple Choice Questions Only | QPs and OMR sheets No Perforation |
| 4 | 902/2 | Kiswahili (Insha na Utangulizi wa Fasihi) | Structured Only | No OMRs Personalised question papers, with perforation |
| 5 | 903 | Mathematics | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 6 | 904/1 | Kenya Sign Language (KSL) – Receptive Skills | Multiple Choice Questions Only | QPs and OMR sheets No Perforation |
| 7 | 904/2 | Kenya Sign Language (KSL) – Language Use | Structured Only | No OMRs Personalised question papers, with perforation |
| 8 | 905/1 | Integrated Science Theory | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 9 | 905/2 | Integrated Science Practical | Structured Only | No OMRs Personalised question papers, with perforation |
| 10 | 906/1 | Agriculture & Nutrition Theory | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 11 | 907 | Social Studies | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 12 | 908 | Christian Religious Education (CRE) | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 13 | 909 | Islamic Religious Education (IRE) | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 14 | 910 | Hindu Religious Education (HRE) | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 15 | 911/2 | Creative Arts & Sports (Theory) | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
| 16 | 912/1 | Pre-Technical Studies Theory | Structured & Multiple-Choice Questions | Personalised question papers, with both perforation and OMR sheets |
5.5 The question paper cover page has a list of index / assessment numbers of candidates whose question papers are in the packet. The cover page MUST be returned together with the unused question papers and MUST NOT be enclosed with the candidates’ answer scripts.
5.6 KJSEA and KCSE question papers and OMR forms for KJSEA will have random numbers while KPSEA OMR forms will have Assessment Numbers.
5.7 Ensure that every invigilator picks question papers for candidates in the room they are assigned.
5.8 The Script Control Form (SCF) shall be signed by the KCSE and KJSEA candidates for every paper per packet such that in every return polybag, there shall be a SCF signed by the candidates whose scripts are enclosed therein. Absentee candidates shall be indicated AB in red against their index/assessment number on the SCF and indicated on the return cover page.
Every return polybag must have a SCF.
5.9 The table below shows the paper formats of the different assessments / examinations.
| S/No | Examination/ assessment | Type of questions | Expected type of answer scripts |
| 5.5.1 | KCSE | Structured / essay/ Practicals | Answer Scripts/ Counter Foils |
| 5.5.2 | KJSEA | MCQs/ Structures / Practicals | OMRs/ Answer Scripts/ Counter Foils |
| 5.5.3 | KPSEA | MCQs | OMRs |
| 5.5.4 | KPLEA | Performance Tasks/Written Tests | Administered and Scored by subject teachers |
| 5.5.5 | KILEA | Performance Tasks / Written Tests | Administered and Scored by subject teachers |
5.10 Handling of counter foils:
5.6.1 Counterfoils on the candidates’ scripts MUST remain intact throughout the examination session. They should not be detached from the script until the time allocated to the papers elapses and the examination stops. Early detaching of counterfoils shall be considered an examination irregularity.
5.6.2 The invigilator shall collect all the answer scripts / OMRs and the counter foils and arrange in ascending order at the end of the paper, before submitting them to the supervisor.
6.0 SEATING PLANS AND SCRIPT CONTROL FORMS
6.1 KCSE Seating plan: The KCSE examination seating plan shall be drawn for each paper and enclosed together with answer scripts.
6.2 KJSEA and KPSEA Seating plan: Only one (1) seating plan for each of KPSEA and KJSEA shall be drawn and submitted together with the other supervision materials.
6.3 The KCSE and KJSEA Script Control Forms MUST NOT BE STAMPED by the centre manager, nor any details of the school indicated on them.
7.0 ADMINISTRATION OF THE KILEA AND KPLEA
7.1 Assessments for KILEA and KPLEA candidates will be uploaded in the KNEC portal.
7.2 The assessments will be downloaded and administered by teachers handling the learners as per the timetable.
7.3 The scores will be uploaded in the KNEC portal and hard copies of scores submitted to KNEC through SCDE.
7.4 KILEA and KPLEA candidates will be administered by their respective teachers. Ten (10) candidates will be invigilated by one teacher.
8.0 HANDLING OF QUESTION PAPERS FOR ABSENT CANDIDATES
8.1 Question papers for absent candidates MUST be enclosed, sealed and stapled in the question paper packet and placed on top of a desk in the examination room in full view of the candidates during the assessment/examination session.
8.2 The counterfoils for absent candidates’ question papers should NOT be detached.
8.3 The Supervisor shall hand over the absent candidate(s) question paper(s) at the end of the session (KCSE) / examination day (KPSEA and KJSEA), for return to the container.
8.4 All unused question papers MUST be handed over to the SCDEs at the container.
8.5 The unused question papers will be handed over to the KNEC officer collecting the scripts.
9.0 HANDLING OF OMRS
9.1 The candidates are expected to shade the ellipses and not strike through Sample OMR sheets have been provided by KNEC on the CBA Grade 6 portal, under instructions and the sample papers, to facilitate practice by the candidates.
9.2 All candidates in KPSEA and KJSEA will be required to use OMR sheets to answer the Multiple-Choice questions. No candidate should answer on the question paper except with express authority from KNEC. If a candidate will be authorised to use the question paper, their OMR form should be enclosed together with the Question paper where they answered and packed in the OMR return envelope alongside the other OMR sheets for the centre. Don’t pack the cover pages in the middle of the OMR answer sheets.
9.3 Supervisor shall verify all OMR forms/answer scripts, arrange them in order and pack in the return polybags as per the predetermined range of assessment/index numbers.
9.4 The supervisor shall Indicate AB for any absent candidate in the correct cover page capture and the candidates’ details in the CP2 portal daily.
10.0 HANDLING OF PRACTICAL EXAMINATION PAPERS
10.1 All the examination centres should make arrangement to ensure that they conduct a maximum of TWO (2) practical sessions for each practical paper.
10.2 All practical examinations should be done in an examination centre. TheSCDE shall plan for the candidates who are hospitalized or convicted to do their practical in examination centres.
10.3 Examination/assessment centres should undertake preliminary preparations for practical papers to ensure there is no interference with the conduct of theory papers.
Teachers in charge of the science subjects with a practical element will only be allowed in the examination centre on the day preceding the practical examination and the day of the practical. Any other preparations can only be done over the weekends and from 5 pm when examinations for the day have ended.
10.4 No teacher or centre staff should be found in the school purporting to be preparing for the practical examinations on days and times that they should not be.
10.5 All the candidates taking the practical paper on a particular day should be in the examination centre at 8:00 am.
10.6 On the day of the practical only authorized subject teachers should be in the laboratory/workshop and be confined to the preparation room during the practical paper.
10.7 The Biology and Physics teachers should not carry out the practical.
Note: only the chemistry teacher is allowed to collect data for each practical session for onward transmission to KNEC. This should be done 30 minutes to the end of the session (For instance, if the session starts at 8:00 am and is expected to end at 10.15 am the teacher should collect data for the practical at 9.45 am).
10.8 The Chemistry teacher question paper should be enclosed in the question paper packet together with those for AB candidates (if any), sealed and placed on a desk in the examination room (laboratory).
10.9 If the sessions are two (2), the question paper shall be returned and sealed in the question paper packet for issuance towards the end of session two.
10.10 The teachers data sheet for every session shall be enclosed in the first packet of candidates scripts for the session.
11.0 HANDLING OF LARGE PRINT/ BRAILLE ANSWER SCRIPTS
11.1 Large print answer scripts should be packed together with the regular scripts in order of index / assessment numbers.
11.2 The Braille papers should be packed in the correct return envelopes.
12.0 HANDLING OF HARDSHIP CASES. (Candidates who sit assessment/examination in other venues ).
12.1 Centre managers are required to report cases of hospitalised candidates that are outside their respective sub counties by 5:00 pm on the day preceding the day they are scheduled to sit a given paper.
12.2 All Emergency cases should be reported. Such candidates should not be declared absent. The supervisor should record where they sat the assessment/examination in the script control form and report in the certificate of supervision.
12.3 SCDEs to provide a detailed report to include Candidates details and venue where they sit the examinations/ assessments.
12.4 The answer sheets for hardship cases shall be packed in a special hardship return envelope and coversheet at the venue the candidate sits for assessment/examination
12.5 All hardship cases should be captured in the CP2 portal during the examinations / assessments.
13.0 CONDUCT OF ORALS / AURALS / PRACTICAL
13.1 Centre manager shall collect the correct paper for the day as labelled on the boxes at the container.
13.2 Only the supervisor, security officers and assessors should be at the examination Centre.
13.3 The Supervisor shall ensure that all scores are uploaded, the hard copies are sealed and packed in the return polybag with the correct cover page before handing over to the Centre manager.
14.0 USE OF CALCULATORS DURING KJSEA AND KCSE
14.1 The candidates will be expected to use codeless and non programmable electronic calculators in the papers that allow the use of Calculators. The calculators must not possess the following:
14.2 Facility for storage of formulae;
14.3 Facility for drawing and storage of graphics;
14.4 Dictionary facility;
14.5 Algebraic storage facilities;
14.6 Any other programming facility.
15.0 RETURN OF MATERIALS TO THE CONTAINER
15.1 The KCSE Centre managers should be escorted while returning assessment materials to the container. All CMs will hand over;
15.1.1 Return poly bags with the answer scripts /OMRs.
15.1.2 The Return envelope with the counter foils.
15.1.3 The envelopes with unused AB scripts and empty question paper packets.
15.1.4 Administration materials at the end of each assessment/examination period.
15.2 They will sign the receiving printout and must account for all the return envelopes and all the candidates.
15.3 The Sub County Director will be guided on how to pack the answer scripts for return to KNEC.
16.0 RECRUITMENT OF SUPERVISORS AND INVIGILATORS
16.1 KCSE Supervisors will rotate weekly and must prepare the report for their week before they report to the new station.
16.2 Where a centre has both KJSEA and KPSEA, one the supervisor will man both KJSEA and KPSEA, however each assessment shall have specific assessment rooms and invigilators.
16.3 All identified personnel must be deployed in the CP2 system, guidelines on nomination have been provided.
16.4 All must sign the declaration of interest forms that will be returned together with the Centre managers reports. The online register must be filled daily, printed signed by all and stamped by both the Centre manager and SCDE.
16.5 All entre managers, supervisors and invigilators MUST print and carry their appointment letters daily, carry their Identity Cards (IDs) and put on their identification badges.
17.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE DURING EXAMINATIONS
17.1 Right of access to the examination Centre
17.1.1 The school gates should remain open from 6:00 am to the time that the examinations or assessments of the day leave the centre.
17.1.2 Centres managers will be expected to allow monitoring officers access to the examination/assessment centre without hindrance. All field officers and centre managers should be aware that KNEC monitoring officers can go directly to the examination/assessment rooms without first reporting to their offices.
17.1.3 All Monitoring officers shall be issued with identification badges that shall be worn while at the distribution and examination/ assessment centres.
17.1.4 Officers from IPOA will also be monitoring the conduct of security officers when providing security during the KCSE.
18.0 AUTHORISED PERSONNEL IN THE EXAMINATION /ASSESSMENT CENTRE
18.1 The Centre manager shall prepare a list of all authorised persons in the examination centre. The single list organised per week should comprise the following details: Name, ID Number, TSC Number, Telephone number and Designation/Role.
18.2 The list should be endorsed by the SCDE before the rehearsal day.
18.3 The Authorised Persons are restricted to: –
18.3.1 The Centre Manager (CM) who should be the principal or the Head of Institution (HOI).
18.3.2 One deputy principal/deputy HOI. This MUST be the official deputy principal/HOI. (In cases where a school has more than one deputy principal only one should be involved throughout the examination period).
18.3.3 Supervisor(s)
18.3.4 Security officer (s)
18.3.5 Invigilator(s)
18.3.6 Gatekeeper
18.3.7 Cooks (reasonable number depending on the candidature)
18.3.8 Laboratory assistants and teachers of sciences and technical subjects on the day preceding practical day and the day of the practical.
18.4 No Unauthorised Persons should be in the examination centre when the examinations and assessments are in progress including the following.
18.4.1 School Directors
18.4.2 BOM chair/Members
18.4.3 Bursar/accounts clerks
18.4.4 Secretary
18.4.5 Unauthorised teachers
18.4.6 Grounds men
18.5 HANDLING OF VISITOR’S BOOK AND MONITORING REGISTERS
18.5.1 The monitoring register, visitors’ book, list of authorised persons at the centre and school stamp should be placed at the desk where the mobile phones of authorised persons are kept at examination area and not in the Centre Manager’s office or anywhere else.
18.5.2 At the end of the examination period, all the Monitoring registers should be packed together with the supervisor’s report, centre managers confidential report and the nominal.
19.0 ENDORSEMENT OF MONITORING QUESTIONNAIRE
KNEC will send officers to the examination centres to monitor the administration of the assessments and examinations. It is a requirement that the monitoring officer complete the questionnaires based on the observations made during their visit to the centre. The centre manager should endorse the questionnaire by signing and stamping the document.
20.0 HANDLING OF MOBILE PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
20.1 Mobile phones for all persons at the examination/assessment centres including those of the security officers and any other electronic devices shall be kept under lock and key outside the examination/assessment room under the vigilance of a security officer. The key will be kept by the Supervisor. Please note that this rule also applies to the phones of teachers undertaking laboratory preparations in readiness for the practical sessions. No one is allowed to access examination/assessment room while inpossession of a mobile phone or any other electronic device when an examination/assessment paper is in progress.
20.2 Invigilators should stand at the back of the candidates to deter any intention to have access to unauthorized materials.
20.3 The Supervisor should record all incidents as they occur.
20.4 Mathematical tables should be checked to ensure they are clean.
20.5 Candidates must be checked to ensure they don’t have unauthorized materials in the examination rooms.
20.6 All officers in an examination Centre shall have badges clearly displayed to show their roles.
21.0 CHANNELS FOR WHISTLE BLOWING
21.1 Whistle blowing is a key aspect in ensuring integrity of the examinations/assessments. Whistle blowers can channel their reports by:
Writing letters either official or anonymous to KNEC. The letters may be physical or electronic.
21.2 Making phone calls using the call centre (0800721410 / 0800724900) or the numbers on the infographics (0798060000 / 0798060010)
21.3 Use of social media (facebook, X-handle, instagram, WhatsApp, telegram and linked In).
21.4 Presenting reports through physical visits to KNEC offices.
21.5 Reports on misconduct of security officers will be channelled to IPOA through a toll-free line 1559.
22.0 SECURITY OF EXAMINATION / ASSESSMENT MATERIALS
22.1 The Briefing of all security officers will be conducted by the DCC (or representative) in charge of every container before the start of the activity.
22.2 There will be two security officers in every KCSE Centre. There shall be no security officers escorting KJSEA and KPSEA assessments, unless the area is highly insecure.
22.3 The security officers must ensure no unauthorized persons interact with the candidates and examination / assessment materials.
22.4 KCSE Centre managers must be escorted from the container to the schools and back.
23.0 CONCLUSION
23.1 All field officers, centre managers and the supervision personnel are reminded to read their appointment letters and circulars from KNEC on the administration and management of examination and assessments.
23.2 School Based Assessments (SBA) Scores
The written school-based assessments are ongoing at grades 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 in all schools. Likewise, performance-based assessments for learners with special needs following the stagebased curriculum are also ongoing for KFLEA, KILEA and KPLEA. Centre managers are urged to ensure that the candidates sitting these assessments have their SBA scores uploaded onto the CBA portal by 23rd October 2025.
24.3 The Council takes this opportunity to thank you for attending this important meeting. It is important to cascade the information you have acquired today to those under you, to ensure that those who will be involved in this exercise are well informed and equipped to manage the 2025 KPSEA, KJSEA and KCSE examinations in the most efficient way without experiencing cases of dishonesty.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
Leave a Reply