Principals will be allowed to have their phones in school during this year’s examinations.
However, they are barred from using them in examination rooms, Knec chairman George Magoha has said.
In an October 20 circular, the Knec boss further instructed school heads to collect test papers at 6am.
The materials will be guarded by police officers in the exam rooms after they are collected from the storage containers.
“The principals will be the managers of the examination centres,” Magoha’s circular reads.
The Kenya National Examination Council exam timetable shows students will sit a maximum of two papers in a day.
“Ensure that materials for the second exam are kept at a designated table in the same room where students are sitting the first exam of the day,” the circular reads.
This was part of the new directives by Knec to ensure credibility of examinations. “Invigilators’ phones are to be locked away before an exam begins.”
Ensure that armed security officers stay at close proximity to the examination materials throughout the day until they are returned to the container,” the circular says.
Magoha on Monday warned that there should not be unnecessary delays in returning examination materials to the containers.
“Soon after the exams are completed, we expect the papers back in the containers within the shortest time possible. Should there be an abnormal delay, the centre manager and supervisor must give an explanation,” he told the Star.
Some 1.6 million candidates with six the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams.
KCPE is set to begin on October 30, a day after the rehearsals while KCSE theory examination will start on November 5.
Form Four candidate taking German, French Arabic and Home Science are sitting the practicals examination which end on November 1.