CS announces start of KCSE marking as test is concluded

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, supervises the opening of the KNEC examination container at the Ruiru Sub-County DCC offices in Kiambu County on 19th November 2025. (By Gitau Wanyoike) The marking of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) for the 996,075 KCSE candidates who sat the examinations this year begins on Monday. This comes after the end of the national tests yesterday. The Ministry of Education has, however, announced that designated markers from schools implicated in cases of examination malpractice will be barred from participating in the exercise. Issuing the directive yesterday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba also confirmed that some 418 candidates in this year's KCSE examination were involved in various forms of malpractice. The figure is, however, a drop from 614 cases recorded last year. Dr Ogamba indicated that investigations into the cases of malpractice are ongoing. "Measures include deregistration of examination centres, nullification of results, disqualification of candidates, and criminal prosecution where necessary. Impersonation cases will attract severe sanctions, including barring candidates from sitting KCSE until 2027," Ogamba said while opening the examination storage container in Kisii yesterday. The CS said marking will be conducted in 40 centres and will involve 32,558 examiners. The CS' warning comes after an earlier caution that candidates involved in malpractice will be barred from taking part in the examination for three years. This means that the candidates found guilty of cheating in the 2025 KCSE examinations may never get a second chance to sit the test as the current system is being phased out. On November 17, the CS warned that those involved in malpractice will face a three-year ban from taking any national exam, a period far longer than the two years remaining before the final KCSE is fully phased out. This means that once their results are cancelled, the candidates effectively lose their only window of ever attaining the certificate. "Such candidates shall also be prohibited from taking an examination for a period not exceeding three years, as mandated by law," the CS said, attributing the ban to provisions under the Kenya National Examinations Act, 2012. This comes as the marking of written responses of the first ever Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) continues. Ogamba said the test results will be released on December 11. "This will enable the Ministry to conduct placement of learners into senior school based on their strengths and interests in the three pathways: Arts and Sports Science, Social Sciences, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Early release will also allow parents to prepare adequately for admissions before the festive season," Ogamba said. This year's KCSE will now leave only two classes under the 8-4-4 before the examination is wrapped up. KCSE will be replaced with the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education(KCBE) exam, which will first be conducted in 2028 by the outgoing Grade 9 learners set to join senior school in January. The examination will also be the only test which CBC candidates will be issued with a certificate, unlike under 8-4-4, where the students were issued two certificates: at the end of KCPE and KCSE.

CS announces start of KCSE marking as test is concluded

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