More candidates to sit this year's exams

Kenya National Examination Council CEO Mercy Karogo.

About 150,000 more candidates have registered to sit this year’s primary and secondary national examinations compared to last year.

This was revealed yesterday as the Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) released timetables for the exams.

Knec data shows that by close of registration on February 28, some 1,938,667 candidates had registered to write the tests.

According to the data, 1,187,517 have been listed to sit Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). This is an increase of 104,061 candidates compared to last year.

And for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), 751,150 candidates have been registered to sit the examinations, up from 697,222 last year. This translates to an additional 53,928 candidates.

Day one

Knec acting Chief Executive Officer Mercy Karogo said registration had closed and the council was now making arrangements for administration of the examinations.

The Knec examination timetable shows KCPE will start on October 27 with rehearsals scheduled a day before.

The three-day exams will end on October 29, just two days to the start of the KCSE tests. Rehearsal for KCSE examinations is scheduled for October 30, with written papers starting November 2, 2020.

Overall, this year marks the highest number of candidates registered for the national examinations in the last five years.

In 2018, 611,952 sat KCSE and 1,052,344 wrote KCPE. In 2017, 611,952 candidates registered for KCSE and 993,718 for KCPE. And in 2016, 942,021 registered for KCSE and 574,125 for KCPE.

The numbers were even lower in 2015 when 525,787 were registered for KCSE and 927,789 for KCPE.

Ms Karogo (above) said preparations were being made to ensure this year's administration of examinations was more secure than last year.

The government last year flagged critical stages where heavy security was deployed during the entire examination period.

A total of 479 metallic containers are being used to store examination papers across 338 sub-counties.