Marking of KCPE starts as all ready for KCSE kick-off

The marking of the just-ended KCPE examination has started as rehearsals for the secondary school test were done yesterday ahead of the Monday start.

The Saturday Standard has established that the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) has summoned the examiners to report to the 11 marking centres to start the process.

The details came as Fourth Form candidates prepared for the written national examination, which starts on Monday.

The KCSE timetable shows that English papers will be administered on Monday, with Mathematics, General Science and Chemistry papers written on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Kiswahili Insha and Chemistry practicals will close the first week of the examination.

On KCPE examination, about 7,000 examiners are expected to mark Insha and Composition papers ahead of the release of the results, likely to done in the last week of this month.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said at the end of the examination that both KCPE and KCSE results would be released before Christmas Day.

“These particular results will be released long before Christmas. Why do we have to keep them when they are ready? We prepare that before they go for Christmas, the children will know the schools they will be going to so that the parents can start preparing early,” Prof Magoha said.

Knec acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo said the coordination and processing of KCPE Insha and Composition will take place between November 1 and 20.

This means that the results would be out any day after November 20.

In 2017, KCPE results were released on November 21. Last year, the results were released on November 19, thanks to the new optical mark recognition (OMR) marking machine acquired by Knec.

The OMR is the process of capturing marked data from candidates’ answer sheets using specialised scanning. 

Magoha said the early release of the KCPE examination results has been made possible by the new marking technology that speeds up the tallying of Insha and Composition marks.

The two papers were previously marked and tallied manually.

However, under the OMR machines, the marked scripts are scanned to verify the marks in record time.

The details emerged as Knec released strict rules on the conduct of examiners.

Under the regulations, all examiners will not disclose their identity as markers or divulge any information acquired in the course of their work.

Out of bounds

Once marking starts, no examiner will be allowed to carry away the question paper, answer scripts, marking scheme, and other marking materials either in their original form or photocopies from the marking rooms/centres.

Examiners’ marking rooms and hostels will be out of bounds to unauthorised visitors and no examiner will be authorised to carry personal electronic gadgets like laptops and tablets to the marking centres.

Commuter examiners who use public means will be required to sign in daily.

“Failure to do so may result in the claim not being honoured for payment,” Dr Karogo says.

The examiners will also not post pictures or share any information on the social media platforms during and after the marking exercise.

“Any examiner found contravening this regulation will be dismissed instantly and a report made to his/her employer for disciplinary action,” reads Knec guidelines.

The marking sessions will start at 7am and end at 7pm daily, during the entire marking period.

“Where there is need to work beyond these hours, the Chief Examiner should liaise with KNEC for extension,” Knec says.

Use of mobile phones will be restricted in marking centres.

Examiners will be required to switch off their phones or put them on silent mode and store them in one place, under the supervision of team leaders.

“They will however use the phones during tea/lunch breaks outside the rooms,” says the guidelines.

In the marking centres, Knec regulations spell out a hierarchy of the staff contracted to process the examination.

Apart from the general examiners, there will be chief examiners and examiners-in-charge for coordination and supervision.

All other examiners will work under supervision of these senior examiners whose professional instructions must be followed.

Senior examiners will carry out thorough and continuous co-ordination as well as accurate completion of the various documents related to marking and awards.

Knec senior officers will issue stationery to the chief examiners and examiners-in-charge.

These officials will be responsible for the distribution of stationery to examiners and ensure that all non-consumable stationery items issued are returned and handed over to centre organisers daily.

“The chief examiners and examiners-in-charge will organise checking of marked answer scripts and the transfer of marks on to mark sheets by the examiners,” says Knec guidelines.

During the marking process, the chief examiner or examiner-in-charge should be satisfied that all marks printouts and other documents have been properly completed and handed in before examiners leave the marking centre.  

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