D-day nears for students as KCSE results out next week

Invigilators verify exam security seals on KCSE mathematics papers at Kisumu Boys High School on November 5. [File, Standard]

KCSE results of the more than 600,000 candidates are expected to be released next week after marking of scripts ended yesterday.

The Saturday Standard has established that standardisation of the examination results has started, to pave way for release of the results.

Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) chairman George Magoha promised candidates and parents that the results would be out before Christmas.

“We want parents to plan in advance so that they do not use all the money on Christmas and forget to plan for school fees of their children,” said Prof Magoha at the end of the 2018 KCSE examinations.

Untenable

This means that by Friday next week, the examination results should have been released.

Sources familiar with exam processing and release hinted that council members could ratify the results next week, ahead of the release.

It emerged that releasing the results on Friday may be too close to the weekend as government offices close for the weekend.

It also emerged that releasing examination results after Friday would be untenable as Christmas festivities will have started and officials taken a break for the holidays.

This means that the examination results are likely to be out between Monday and Thursday next week. Earlier, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed had said the results would be released as soon as the President announces the date. “President Uhuru Kenyatta will announce the date when the results will be released,” Amina said at Nairobi School after witnessing the sealing of the last paper. Some 23,713 examiners marked the scripts spread across 19 centres.

Chief examiners converged in Nairobi from November 30 to lay ground for marking of the examinations. Actual marking of the scripts started on December 3.

The marking system adopted by Knec has made entry of marks easy, and this is done by close of each working day.

Each examiner enters marks of scripts marked and the results are relayed real time to the Knec database.

Tallying is done electronically to ensure accuracy and precision of the process.

Speaking at the end of the examinations, Prof Magoha said marking would start immediately and also promised stricter marking for schools that attempted to access the examinations.

Fair process

“We shall ensure marking is fair to all. And those who attempted to infiltrate the examinations will be nabbed at marking,” said Prof Magoha.

It emerged yesterday that the examination scripts will be subjected to standardisation as happened with the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results.

Parents and candidates who spoke yesterday said anxiety is building up ahead of the release next week.

The administration of the exams was enhanced, with Amina saying that the results would be a true reflection of the candidates’ performance.

In last year’s results, released on December 20, a girl scooped number one position nationally, and a girls’ school emerged top.

Kirimi Naomi Kawira of Pangani Girls posted a performance index of 87.011, to beat all the 600,000 candidates who sat the examinations. She was followed closely by Sharon Jepchumba of Moi Girls’ High School (Eldoret) with a performance index of 86.83.

Two boys – Kamau Brian Maina of Alliance High School (86.757) and Kut Donata Odero of Lenana School (86.561) emerged third and fourth respectively.