The registration of candidates for this year’s national examinations will close on February 15, the Kenya National Examination Council has said.
The deadline applies to the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, Kenya Secondary School Education exams and those wishing to register for KCSE Qualifying Test (QT) exams.
Registration began on January 2.
Acting chief executive Mercy Karogo said in a circular on Tuesday all registration must be done online via www.knec-portal-ac.ke.
The QT is a proficiency test measuring candidates’ ability to sit the KCSE exam.
It is taken on one day in November before the exam.
The exam is open to Kenyan citizens and those in Kenyan Missions abroad.
Interested candidates make a formal application to Knec six months before the exam.
Those eligible to sit the exam must either have a KCPE certificate, a Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) or a foreign primary certificate received after less than eight years of primary school education.
“Persons wishing to register as private candidates are advised to download forms from the Knec website, complete it and submit it to the subcounty director of education for guidance on registration,” she said.
Registration for individuals wishing to sit the Qualifying Test will be done at the subcounty director of education offices.
“All students, parents, headteachers, principals and subcounty directors of education are, hereby, advised to adhere to the deadlines set by the council,” Karogo said.
The Ministry of Education will pay examination fees for all KCPE and KCSE candidates in both private and public schools.
Last year, the ministry incurred Sh40 million as a waiver on examination fees.
Private candidates, candidates in prisons, repeating candidates and non-citizen candidates will, however, be required to pay for the exams.
The ministry does not recognise schools that register less than 15 candidates.
Such candidates are to be hosted by other schools during exams.
Prisons and institutions presenting candidates with special needs are, however, exempted from the above rule.
Unlike in previous years, the ministry intends to get rid of allocating candidates index numbers on the basis of class performance and instead issue them with unique numbers based on admission numbers.
This is likely to eliminate stigma among students.
There is a notion that students with low index numbers are poor performers while those with higher numbers are bright