Passport Photo Required: KNEC Gives Reporting Guidelines to KJSEA Examiners
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has begun sending invitations to teachers selected to mark the 2026 Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA).
Examiners are expected to report to their assigned marking centres on Monday, November 9, 2026.
The notice, signed by KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njengere, MBS, sets out reporting instructions and the payment structure for the exercise.
It comes days after the assessment ended on Friday, October 30, and it moves thousands of teachers from the examination room towards the marking centre.
Where and When to Report
According to the notice, examiners are required to report to their marking centres on Monday, November 9, 2026, between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Each examiner will report to the centre allocated to their learning area.
November 9 is the reporting day, when examiners arrive, register and are coordinated ahead of the marking itself.
Examiners must carry a passport-size photograph. It will be attached to their name tag, which they will wear throughout the exercise.
Name tags are a standard security measure at marking centres. They let officials confirm that only vetted and authorised personnel are handling candidates’ scripts.
Examiners should plan their travel so they arrive before to their centres on time. Those travelling long distances should leave early enough to complete registration, receive their tags and take part in the coordination session without being locked out.
The Payment Structure
The notice confirms the payment structure examiners will work under:
- Coordination fee: KSh 250 per day
- Basic fee: KSh 1,500
- Scripts fee: KSh 35 per script
- Travel allowance: based on the examiner’s workstation
The notice adds that the KSh 35 per script covers every marking-related activity. This includes actual marking, entry of marks, e-capture, cross-checking, adjudication and report writing.
Examiners should not expect separate payments for these tasks. The per-script rate is meant to compensate for the whole workflow, from the first script to the final report.
The travel allowance is tied to the examiner’s workstation, so it will vary. An examiner assigned to a centre far from home will likely be treated differently from one marking close to where they live.
The notice does not publish the allowance figures, so examiners should confirm the exact amount at the centre.
What the Numbers Could Mean
Earnings under this structure depend on volume. The basic fee and the daily coordination fee are fixed, while the script fee rises with every script an examiner completes.
For example, an examiner who marks 1,000 scripts would earn KSh 35,000 from scripts alone. Add the KSh 1,500 basic fee and a coordination fee of KSh 250 for each of 14 days (KSh 3,500), and the estimated total comes to about KSh 40,000.
That figure is only an illustration. It assumes the coordination fee is paid for 14 days. If the exercise runs for a different number of days, or the fee is paid only for working days, the total will change.
It also excludes the travel allowance and any statutory deductions, which KNEC has not detailed. Examiners should confirm their net position when payment is processed.
For a fuller breakdown, including estimates for 500, 800, 1,000 and 1,500 scripts and a comparison with 2025 payments by learning area, see our earlier article: How Much Will KNEC Pay Examiners Marking KJSEA 2026? Ksh 35 Per Script, Ksh 1,500 Basic and Ksh 250 Daily.
The Marking Centres
KNEC has spread the exercise across several institutions, depending on the learning area. Earlier reports named centres such as Moi Girls School Nairobi for Kiswahili Paper 2, Alliance High School for Creative Arts and Sports and English Paper 2, Pangani Girls for Pre-Technical Studies, Maryhill Girls for Social Studies, Isinya Girls for Integrated Science, Starehe Boys Centre for Agriculture, St. George’s Girls School Nairobi for CRE, and Mang’u High School for Mathematics.
Examiners should not assume that every teacher reports to the same venue. The invitation sent to each selected teacher states the specific centre, and that is the one to follow. Anyone unsure should confirm through official KNEC communication before travelling.
A Broader Look at the Script Fee
The clarification that the KSh 35 covers e-capture, cross-checking, adjudication and report writing matters because it changes how examiners should plan their time.
Marking is only one part of the job. Marks must be entered and captured electronically, and cross-checking is done to catch errors before results are compiled. Adjudication resolves cases where marks differ or need a second opinion.
Report writing is part of the examiner’s professional duty to document observations about candidate performance.
An examiner who marks quickly but carelessly may find that errors are flagged during cross-checking or adjudication, and time spent correcting them is not paid separately.
Accuracy is therefore not just a quality requirement. It also protects an examiner’s earnings by avoiding rework.
Recovering the Training Investment
For many of the selected examiners, the marking payment is also when an earlier expense is recovered. Teachers who attended KNEC’s residential training from August 16 to 20, 2026, paid a mandatory training fee of KSh 10,500 and presented proof of payment on reporting.
Set against that fee, marking earnings look quite different. An examiner who marks 300 scripts would earn about KSh 10,500 from scripts alone, roughly the cost of the training.
The basic fee and coordination fees come on top of that. Examiners who handle larger volumes will recover the fee many times over, though travel, meals and accommodation can reduce what they keep.
Who Gets Marked by Hand
Not every script will pass through an examiner’s hands. In some learning areas, including English and Kiswahili Paper 1, candidates answered multiple-choice questions by shading options on Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, and those scripts will be marked by machine.
Examiners will handle learning areas tested through open-ended questions, where candidates generated their own answers, as well as papers involving creative writing.
The more open-ended and creative the assessment, the greater the need for trained human markers. That is why KNEC drew its examiners from teachers who had been vetted and trained.
What Examiners Should Do Before Reporting
With the reporting date days away, selected teachers can take a few practical steps.
Confirm your invitation and centre. KNEC says official communication reaches selected examiners directly. Check your messages and the KNEC portal for your reporting details rather than relying on word of mouth.
Carry the required items. The passport-size photograph is explicitly required for the name tag. Examiners should also carry the identification and other documents mentioned in their invitation.
Review your training notes. Examiners who understand the rubrics and marking schemes from the August training can mark faster and with fewer queries. Revisiting those notes before reporting is time well spent.
Plan for the duration. The marking exercise is expected to last about two weeks, so examiners should arrange personal and professional responsibilities in advance, including school duties and family commitments.
Budget for costs. Travel, meals and accommodation can reduce net earnings. Ask at the centre what is provided and what you will need to cover yourself.
Keep records. Note the number of scripts you mark so that you can cross-check against the figures used to compute your payment.
Beware of Scammers
Whenever money is involved, fraudsters follow. KNEC has stressed that official communication, including payment instructions, is sent only through its official SMS notifications and portal updates.
Teachers should not send money to anyone claiming to guarantee a marking slot, higher pay or early deployment.
Selection is done through KNEC’s vetting process. Applicants were required to be active TSC or PSC teachers with at least a Diploma in Education, three years’ teaching experience, a clean disciplinary record, their head teacher’s endorsement and an age of 50 or below.
No one can buy their way into the exercise, and anyone who asks for payment in exchange for a slot should be reported.
The Timeline Ahead
The exercise is tightly scheduled because of what follows. KNEC plans to release the results in December, and KJSEA candidates will receive them in a report form, similar to the one KPSEA candidates get. This will allow them to join Grade 10 in January.
KNEC has also clarified that no certificate will be issued for KJSEA. CBC learners will receive only one certificate, after the Grade 12 final assessment, which will lead to the Kenya Certificate of Basic Education (KCBE) and mark the end of basic education from PP1 to Grade 12.
Because placement into Grade 10 depends on these results, delays or errors in marking would affect learners, schools and parents. That is why KNEC is stressing punctuality, security and quality from the first day of reporting.
The Bottom Line
With invitations going out, examiners are expected to report on Monday, November 9. They should arrive at their allocated marking centre between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. with their passport-size photographs, ready to register and be coordinated before marking gets under way.
The pay structure is clear: KSh 250 per day in coordination fees, a KSh 1,500 basic fee, KSh 35 per script covering the full marking workflow, and a travel allowance based on workstation.
Within that structure, what each examiner takes home will reflect their volume, speed and accuracy.
The work also has a larger purpose. The scripts on the examiners’ desks belong to Grade 9 learners whose results will shape their transition to senior school in January.
Examiners who mark carefully and carry out every stage of the process, from capture to report writing, will be helping to keep that timeline on track.
