THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
BRIEFING AND SENSITIZATION NOTES FOR FIELD OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT OF THE 2021 KCPE AND KCSE EXAMINATIONS
INTRODUCTION
The Kenya National Examinations Council will be conducting the 2021 KCSE and KCPE examinations between 28th February and 7th March 2022 respectively. The following need to be communicated to all the Field Officers involved during the briefing and sensitization that is scheduled to take place between 21st and 25th February 2022. The briefing shall be carried out by the Sub County Directors of Education (SCDEs) and TSC Sub County Directors (TSC SCDs) and the meeting shall be chaired by the Deputy County Commissioners (DCCs).
1.0 PREPARATIONS OF 2021 KCPE AND KCSE EXAMINATIONS
The Council operates through agency system where Field Officers are identified, while others by virtue of their Offices are endowed with the responsibilities of ensuring examinations are conducted according to set rules and regulations. Administration and management of examination requires integrity, discipline and dedication by the persons involved.
The rehearsal for the 2021 KCPE is set to be conducted on 4th March 2022 and the examination will run from 7th to 9th March 2022. On the other hand the rehearsal for the 2021 KCSE examination will take place on 25th February 2022 and the examination is scheduled to start on 28th February and end on 1st April 2022.
1.1. Preparations put in place
The following preparations have been made to ensure successful administration of the 2021 KCPE and KCSE examinations:
1.1.1 Candidates have been registered. Only registered candidates will be allowed to sit for the examinations;
1.1.2 Timetables are in the KNEC website for your reference. Examinations are supposed to be conducted as per the timetables while observing the start and end time for each session;
1.1.3 Examination materials have been prepared and will be dispatched next week. You shall be given a dispatch programme to guide your operations;
1.1.4 Identification and deployment of supervision personnel has already been done by TSC Sub County Directors;
1.1.5 Containers are in place, and the Officers to manage the containers have been identified;
1.1.6 KNEC has made necessary preparation regarding security of the examination materials, candidates and personnel involved throughout the examination period;
1.1.7 Monitoring programme is in place, Officers involved shall be coming to the field to ensure rules and regulations governing conduct of examinations are adhered to.
2.0. REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES
The 2022 KCPE and KCSE online registration of candidates has not started and communication on the same will be done through circulars at a later date.
3.0. SUPERVISION AND INVIGILATION OF EXAMINATIONS
3.1 KNEC will work closely with the Ministry of Education, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government to administer and manage national examinations. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) through the Sub County Directors (SCD) have identified, nominated and vetted Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators; and deployed them to examination centres..
3.2 The Ministry of Education through the Sub County Directors of Education (SCDEs) have identified Education Officers to oversee the management of the examinations at the containers and examination centres.
3.3 Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government has identified security officers to provide security during the entire examinations period.
3.4 Centre Managers are the heads of examination centres upon deployment by the TSC SCD. They are supposed to take online attendance of the Officers deployed in the examination centres. These Officers include Centre managers Supervisors, Invigilators and Security officers. The centre managers are required to maintain a list of authorised staff by the SCDE to be present at the examination centre. All unauthorised staff must keep off the examination centres.
3.5 Supervisors are teachers drawn from the neighboring schools within the Sub County. Every examination centre must have a supervisor who is expected to ensure successful conduct of examinations in the centres they have been appointed to serve.
3.6 Invigilators on the other hand are teachers drawn from the neighboring schools within the Sub County and deployed to ensure that examinations are conducted according to KNEC rules and regulations in an examination room. They work under the instructions of the supervisor.
3.7 Centre managers, Supervisors and Invigilators are responsible to the TSC Sub County Directors. When recruiting the personnel, the TSC Sub County Directors should ensure they do not:
3.7.1 Over recruit since the Council operates on a limited budget like any other organization;
3.7.2 Deploy supervisors and invigilators in one examination centre for more than two consecutive years;
3.7.3 Source supervisors and invigilators from adjacent examination centres. This mainly applies where examination centres are located in the same compound or close to one another;
3.7.4 Deploy supervisors to Examination Centres hosted in other examination centres with less than thirty (30) candidates. The hosted centres will be entitled to Centre Manager and one invigilator or two invigilators depending on number of hosted candidates. However, there are some centres that have been exempted due to the special conditions of the centres and this has already been communicated to the Council.
3.7.5 Deploy supervisor to manage examination for a candidate in hospital/prison. Candidates in hospitals are supposed to be assigned an invigilator and security officer who are supposed to sign declaration form on the space allowed of the Examination centre of the candidate, clearly indicating the candidates’ details number of days they have invigilated in the hospital/prison as required.
3.8 Online Contracted Professional System (CP2 System)
Recruited Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators and other Field Officers must be deployed in CP2 system (accessible using the Link/ URL: http://cp2.knec.ac.ke). All Contracted professionals (CP’s) must be registered and deployed on the CP2 online platform. The Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators should possess deployment letters and present these to monitoring Officers and the Centre Manager on demand.
The Council has noted with a lot of concern that some contracted professionals have trouble logging in to the CP2 system because of failure to receive the SMS from KNEC with their Username and Password. To resolve this, clients are advised to dial *456*9*5*5*1# then create their 50f16 password again if they are registering for the first time or Reset their password to get the SMS with the login credentials.
Please sensitize Officers involved in administration and management of examinations since it is a way of unblocking their telephone line to receive messages from KNEC.
3.9 Identification badges
All Centre Managers, Supervisors and Invigilators must have identification badges. During the 2020 KCPE and KCSE examinations, KNEC gave additional pockets and straps for holding the badges. Kindly re-use them as it has been the case before.
3.10 Payments for supervision and invigilation contracted professionals
The Council shall verify online contracted professionals’ data and pay the Officers who participated in the management of examinations. KNEC will not pay night out allowance because of creation of more Sub Counties thus reducing the distances involved and availability of teachers during administration of examinations since schools will be closed during examinations period.
3.11 Roles of Personnel involved in the management of examinations
Roles of various personnel involved in management of examinations are well documented in the instructions on the conduct of examination document which is available for download from KNEC website: www.knec.ac.ke.
4.0 KEY ISSUES DURING MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF 2021 KCPE and KCSE EXAMINATIONS
The following should be noted during the management and administration of the 2021 KCPE and KCSE examinations:
4.1 Hosted examination centres
The Council requested examination centers with less than 30 candidates to be hosted by Centres with more than 30 candidates in order to;
4.1.1 Ensure there are adequate armed security officers in examination Centres;
4.1.2 Ensure there are adequate vehicles to distribute examination materials and personnel;
4.1-3 Reduce the cost of running the examinations;
401.4 Ensure many examinations centres are monitored;
4.1.5 Centre Manager whose candidates are hosted are required to inform their candidates where they shall be hosted while undertaking examinations in good time. These Centre Managers must accompany their candidates to the hosted centres and remain in the centres during the examinations. Their roles will include:
- Identify their learners and attend the rehearsal;
- Ensure hosted candidates adhere to rules and regulations of examinations and maintain high discipline during administration of the examination;
- Ensure any candidates with special needs is accorded the necessary support and attend to any issue that may arise pertaining to their candidates as per the KNEC rules and regulations;
- Verify the packets containing their candidates answer scripts ensuring that they are NOT PACKED together with the hosting centres candidates answer scripts.
- Should have their own declaration form and ensure they take daily online attendance for themselves and the invigilator(s).
- During science practicals, the Centre Manager should bring along their practical apparatus and chemicals. The science subject teacher and the laboratory assistant should be present during the preparation and ensure they set up the room assigned and cover windows to ensure they do not expose their work to other candidates.
- Where a hosting centre does not have facilities required by an hosted centre the hosted centre should conduct the practical or assessment at their own centre with the supervisor of the hosting. In case of any challenges the centre should seek guidance from the Sub County of Education.
4.2 Assessment of Orals and Practicals
The 2021 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Oral and examination papers are scheduled to start on 28th February and end on 4th March 2022. The centre managers of examination centres offering these examination papers are expected to collect the question papers and return duly sealed scores sheets of the candidates to the Sub County containers. The Centre Manages should ensure the following:
4.2.1 Scores for KCSE orals and aural assessment are uploaded onto the KNEC portal before assessor leaves the centre;
4.2.2 One supervisor identified, nominated and deployed in the examination centre offering these papers must be at the examination centre when the oral and practical examination papers are being conducted;
4.2.3 Centre manager to inform the supervisor on when the oral and practical examination papers will be taking place at the examination centre.
4.2.4 Supervisor plays the following roles during the assessment:
i) Receiving the examination materials from the Centre Manager in one of the assessment rooms;
ii) Handing over the examination materials to the assessors and signing the accountability documents;
iii) Supervising the conduct of the assessment of the oral and practical papers. The supervisor will not be allowed in the assessment room during the assessment exercise to avoid distracting the assessor and the candidate;
iv) Confining candidates awaiting assessment in a room where they cannot hear or see what is being assessed;
- Ensuring that the candidates who complete the assessment leave the examination area and not to interact with the candidates who are yet to be assessed;
- Collecting well sealed envelope containing candidates scores and handing over the envelope to the centre manager for returning to the Sub County Container.
4.3 Deployment of security officers and their role
Two (2) security officers are deployed at each assessment centre and their roles will be:
4.3.1 Escorting the Centre Manager carrying examination materials from the container to the examination centre, remain in the centre throughout the assessment period and when returning candidates’ scores to the container;
4.3.2 Assisting the supervisor in confining candidates who are yet to be assessed in a room where they cannot hear or see what is being assessed.
4.3.3 Assisting the supervisor in ensuring that the candidates who have completed assessment leave the examination area and not to interact with the candidates who are yet to be assessed.
4.3.4 Maintaining security at the examination centre and ensuring that unauthorised persons do not interact with candidates.
Please note that Invigilators are NOT allowed at the examination centre during assessment of (KCSE) Oral and Practical Examination Papers.
4.4 Use of random numbers
The Council has previously noted that some of the candidates have no idea on how to acquire random numbers during examinations. Candidates should be informed that random numbers are contained in the attendance register printout (nominal roll) for their reference;
4.5 Timetable
Where there is a conflict in timing between the timetable and the question paper, the supervisor must adhere to the timing given on the question paper;
4.6 Appointment letters
Supervisors and Invigilators must carry their letters of appointment, KNEC badges and national identity cards as a means of identification when at the examination centres;
4.7 Management of examinations in the field
4.7.1 Each Education Officer and Sub County Director of Education managing a storage facility/distribution point MUST check the boxes/bags containing question papers and ensure that the serial number label corresponds to the dispatch document and the centres listed are correct;
4.7.2 The Education Officer and the centre manager must verify and record the examination papers issued for each day to ensure that they are the correct papers for the day as per the timetable;
4.7.3 The Supervisor must verify and record the papers handed over by the Centre manager each day to ensure that they are the correct papers for the day as per the examination timetable;
4.7.4 On each day, the Centre manager will collect examination materials from the distribution point in person;
4.7.5 The answer sheets or scripts for every paper should be packed in the correct return envelope;
4.7.6 Candidates should be issued with the correct answer booklets where applicable;
4.7.7 The Centre Manager should not advise the supervisor to adjust index numbers of candidates;
4.7.8 Candidates should be very keen when using their index numbers in the examinations, especially the repeaters;
4.7.9 The Centre manager should ensure there are sufficient Braille machines that are in good working conditions for SNE candidates. The Examination centres should ensure that the required Braille paper materials are received from KNEC;
4.7.10 Please note that no special need cases should be brought to Council notice when examinations are ongoing except for special cases that occur during the examinations whose authority must be sought from Chief Executive Officer, KNEC;
4.7.11 Candidates sitting examination in other venues (hospitals, remand etc,) should not be indicated absent on the attendance register; instead the supervisor should indicate where the candidate sat the examination;
4.7.12 In the past clipboards and mathematical tables have been used as a source of cheating. Clipboards and mathematical tables that have any writings are discouraged from being used in the examination rooms;
4.7.13 Most KCPE candidates circle their choice of responses and write along the side a large letter representing the selected option on the question paper. The enlarged and/or circled writing can easily be seen by other candidates, hence a possible source of collusion. This should be discouraged;
4.7.14 Some candidates use light shade of pencils that cannot be read by the OMR scanner, resulting in gaps. Candidates should be advised to use quality pencils;
4.7.15 Some candidates circle their responses on the question paper before transferring the same to the question paper. This practice may result in:
- erroneous transfer of candidates’ responses where for instance, the candidate’s preferred response is C but erroneously shades B;
- incomplete transfer of responses when time allowed ends before a candidate has fully transferred the choices;
- shift during transfer of responses where a candidate misses out one question and continues without realizing.
In most instances, this habit is encouraged by teachers who after the exam want to score the candidates based on the responses on the question paper. It should be discouraged.
4.7.16 During KCSE Industrial subjects: Power Mechanics (447), Electricity (448) and Aviation Technology (450), the Subject teachers to be allowed to prepare the practical a day before the actual examination day and the assessors to be allowed to look at the question papers before the exam starts. The candidates to be allowed 30 minutes over and above the two (2) and a half hours duration to study the question and conceptualize the same in Drawing and Design Paper 2. This particular instruction is also on the rubric of the question paper;
4.7.17 The following instructions should be adhered to during Biology (231/3), Physics (232/3) and Chemistry (233/3) practicals;
- Cartons containing individual examination centre materials shall be opened on the morning of Thursday 17th March 2022 for Chemistry and 24th March 2022 for Biology practicals. The subject teachers and/or technicians should be allowed to start setting up the laboratories on the same dates as early as 9:00 am;
- Advance instructions will be dispatched early to enable examination centres acquire materials necessary for the practical examinations;
- Candidates should not be allowed to carry mathematical tables for use in any of the Physics papers.
4.7.18 Subject teachers are not allowed to walk around the laboratory during the practical nor are they allow to attempt the questions in Biology and Physics practicals. They should only attend to queries received through invigilators while at the preparation room.
The subject teacher is expected to be in the preparation room together with the laboratory technician during the practicals.
5.0 QUALITY ASSURANCE FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS
5.1 The Kenya National Examinations Council is committed to ensuring that the certification process is credible and of globally acceptable standards, in line with its Mandate, Vision and Mission. To ensure this, KNEC undertakes quality assurance of its core processes by:
5.1.1 Issuing all the relevant circulars to guide examination administration;
5.1.2 Briefing and sensitizing all Officers involved in conduct of examinations;
5.1.3 Monitoring field administration of KNEC examinations;
5.1.4 Processing of examination results;
5.1.5 Handling cases of examination irregularities and related reports; and
5.1.6 Handling of appeals and queries from candidates on their examination results.
5.2 KNEC, through a multi-agency approach, shall monitor the conduct of examinations to ensure adherence to the laid down regulations and to prevent examination malpractice. To this end, KNEC will be sending Officers to the field while examinations are ongoing. KNEC will brief all the Officers involved on the expectations of KNEC prior to the exercise and provide guidelines which Officers shall be expected to adhere to. Such Officers will also be issued with identification badges.
5.3 Centres Managers will be expected to allow access of their Centres for monitoring without barrier. In the past, security guards in Centres have delayed opening gates, claiming that they need clearance from the Centre Managers even when monitoring officers have provided proof of identification. This can be an indicator to malpractice in such examination centres.
5.4 KNEC will also undertake quality assurance checks to ensure that all bonafide candidates’ scores are accounted for and that each candidate is awarded their deserved scores. KNEC is committed to ensuring fairness and objectivity so that no candidate gains undue advantage over others. To stem out examination malpractice, the following are some of the measures that KNEC has put in place:
5.4.1 Sensitization of candidates, parents, teachers and the general public on examination irregularities through circulars, timetables; mass and social media messaging, etc;
5.4.2 Annual briefing and sensitization of Field Officers (CDEs, DEOs, DXOs, TSC Staffing Officers, Supervisors);
5.4.3 Installation of security in all points where examination materials are handled (in storage, transit, examination centres, marking centres);
5.4.4 Vetting of all Officers involved in examination administration;
5.4.5 Rehearsals are conducted;
5.4.6 Searching and identification of candidates;
5.4.7 Stringent security handling of live/spare question papers and answer scripts;
5.4.8 Coordination/Command Call Centre with toll-free lines where all issues arising during examination administration can be reported.
5.4.9 To this end, KNEC requests the following from field officers, teachers and stakeholders involved in the field management of examinations:
5.4.10 Ensuring briefing and sensitization is cascaded across field officers, teachers and candidates attend briefing sessions and rehearsals, to keep abreast with the conduct of the examinations.
54.11 Enforcing adherence to all regulations regarding the examinations’ administration.
5.4.12 Emphasizing to candidates the importance of desisting from examination malpractices.
5.4.13 Failure to adhere to the laid down regulations has led to the following examination irregularities:
i) Collusion; ii) Possession/use of electronic mobile phones in examination centres; iii) Impersonation; iv) Smuggling of unauthorized information into examination room; v) Presentation of two or more answer sheets by one candidate; vi) Attempts to gain prior knowledge of contents of examination papers; vii) Disruptive behaviour in the examination rooms / centres.
Cases of candidates who gained undue advantage through examination malpractices will be investigated and handled in accordance with the Law and Regulations. KNEC therefore requests all stakeholders for their support in averting examination malpractices during the 2021 National Examinations.
6.0 DESPATCH AND RETUN OF ANSWER SCRIPTS
6.1 The dispatch of examination papers and return of answer scripts programme will be circulated to Sub County Directors of Education.
6.2 Scripts under special cover e.g. of candidates who do not take their examination at their Centre should be handed to the KNEC Officer at the point of receiving and the returning Officer should ensure the case is recorded.
6.3 The Sub-County Director of Education is required to submit the following examination materials to KNEC at the end of the examination period or as per the instructions given:
6.3.1 Candidates’ answer scripts;
6.3.2 Completed attendance registers for Candidates, Supervisors, Invigilators and other accountable tracking documents;
6.3.3 Completed and accurately filled in reports and certificates of supervision;
6.3.4 Reports on Irregularities together with any seized material (where applicable);
6.3.5 Declaration forms consisting of claims for supervisors, invigilators, drivers, security and education officers duly certified by the SubCounty Education officer;
6.3.6 All empty question paper packets and bags;
6.3.7 Seating plans for candidates;
6.3.8 Copies of any question papers with misprints or missing pages (where applicable);
6.3.9 Any extra question papers;
6.3.10 Summary of ‘Under Protest’ entries and a letter from the Centre manager of the Institution explaining the cases.
7.0 PROCESSING OF CANDIDATES’ RESULTS
7.1 This is a process undertaken by the Council after examinations have been administered to candidates. It includes marking, grading and release of examination results to the candidates through their institutions/SCDE.
7.2 Some of the challenges related to the field which hinder effective processing of candidates’ results include:
7.2.1 Inaccurate reports provided by supervisors on absentee candidates during administration of KNEC examinations;
7.2.2 Failure by some Headteachers to recommend their staff who are intending to apply for training as examiners;
72.3 Reluctance by some Headteachers to release Senior Examiners invited for early coordination and marking;
7.2.4 Failure of Heads of institutions to assist KNEC in identifying teachers from their institutions who are conversant with braille and hence can mark scripts without debrailling.
7.3 All institutions are encouraged to submit accurate data during the administration of examinations and verify the examination results immediately after release to ensure accuracy.
8.0 RELEASE OF EXAMINATIONS RESULTS
Once processing of results is complete, results will be released. The date for the release of examination results will be communicated to the Sub County Directors of education and other stakeholders.
9.0 ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE
9.1 Administration of examination is a serious exercise that should be handled carefully by sober people.
9.2 Persons who abuse alcohol and other drugs should not be allowed to participate in any way in the management of examinations, because the reason why these people abuse the drugs is to manipulate their emotions and behavior.
9.3 This may lead to negative consequences in whatever they undertake as well as breaking rules since they do not seem to be important to them.
9.4 These people concentrate on thinking on how to get high and most of their efforts go to planning where to get more of the substance to feel good about themselves.
9.5 The only meaningful relationship they have is that of themselves and the drug.
9.6 Such people who should not be entrusted with the lives of our children because they might be compromised and interfere in the process of administering examinations leading to cancellation of candidates’ results.
10.0 QUERY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM(QIMS)
The Kenya National Examinations Council has automated the process of submitting examination related queries. This includes confirmation of results, certificate replacement, amendment of candidates’ information and payment queries. The query management information system is accessible online hence clients do not need to visit KNEC Offices in order to raise queries. To access the online system, clients are advised to use the link: qims.knec.ac.ke or log on to the KNEC website www.knec.ac.ke for more information.
11.0 AIDS AND HIV
11.1 As KNEC stakeholders, we need to live with the fact that AIDS and HIV are a reality and that we are either infected or affected;
11.2 The menace directly and indirectly affects all that we do as KNEC stakeholders;
11.3 KNEC requests you to take any opportunity at your disposal to talk about it at any forum that you meet the people you supervise.
12.0 RISK MANAGEMENT
12.1 The work of administering examinations comes with its own risks;
12.2 As examination stakeholders, you need to see the risks ahead of any action you may take. Such risks may involve:
12.2.1 Appointment of a supervisor or an invigilator who is not qualified or has vested interest in the institution he/she is to administer examinations;
12.2.2 Involvement of Security Officers who don’t take security issues seriously or are alcoholics to examination centres;
12.2.3 Summarizing officers for payments who never worked during the examination administration for payment;
12.2.4 Failing to keep time at the container or at the examination centre etc.
12.3 It is important to mitigate against any risks before they occur and manage them accordingly.
13.0 CONCLUSION
The Kenya National Examinations Council takes this opportunity to thank you for attending this important meeting. It is important to cascade the information you have acquired today to those under you in order to ensure that those who will be involved in this exercise are well informed and equipped to manage the 2021 KCPE and KCSE examinations in the most efficient way without experiencing cases of dishonesty.
THE END – THANK YOU
