Preparations for national exams start, Knec maintains no change of centres

Preparations for national exams start, Knec maintains no change of centres

National examinations are set to kick off in ten weeks time as learning resumes next month.

The government is rushing to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.

Preparations for KCPE and KCSE national exams for the 1.9 million candidates have been stepped up as second term comes to an end in two weeks.

Examinations are being moderated to accommodate all learners due to effects of Covid-19 that resulted in serious disruptions of learning and syllabus coverage.

The details emerged as Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha led a high-level team from the Ministry of Education and the Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) to assess the process at the printer in the UK.

The officials left the country early last week for the UK to monitor final examinations preparations and printing, under the short period of time.

This is the latest indication that the candidates, who by now would be waiting to receive examination results under ordinary times, will sit the tests and transition to other classes.

Questions had been raised over the nature of national examinations as private schools rolled out successful online lessons while similar efforts flopped in public schools.

Education experts also cited negative effects of the prolonged schools closure on candidates and proposed fairness in setting national examinations.  

Ministry of Education rolled out a crash programme to ensure full syllabus coverage for all learners.

Prof Magoha had assured that even with the disruptions of learning, national examinations will be set from areas covered by learners.

The final preparations now mean that the candidates who will be closing schools in two weeks must now double their efforts as they prepare for the examinations scheduled for early next year.

According to the revised education calendar for the candidates, second term will end on December 23 after which learners have a one-week break ahead of the January 4 opening.

KCPE examinations have been scheduled to run on March 22 and 24. Rehearsals will be done on March 19 with mathematics and English papers to be done on first day of the examinations.

Science and Kiswahili subjects will be done on the second day, with Social Studies and Religious Education subjects done on the last day. At least 1.2 million candidates will sit the three days examinations.

KCSE rehearsals have been scheduled for March 25, with written examinations kicking off March 26. The examinations will run for three weeks and three days.

Releasing the examination timetable, Magoha said marking of the two tests will be spread between April 19 and May 7.

English, mathematics and chemistry papers will be done during the first two days of the examinations. For KCSE, 751,150 candidates will sit the form four national examinations.

Last year, 173,945 personnel were used during the field administration of KCPE examination. Another 6,440 examiners marked the KCPE examinations.

For KCSE, 70,790 personnel were deployed during field administration of the examination. Some 26,597 examiners were involved in marking.

The new examination timetable was released following huge learning disruptions occasioned by Covid-19 that saw schools lose up to nine months study time.

Registered centres

But even with the disruptions, Knec maintained that candidates will not be allowed to change centres they had registered to sit the examinations.

The effects of Covid-19 pushed some parents to transfer their children from some schools.

Knec, however, said that during the exams, the candidates will have to sit the tests from registered centres.

The council said the registration process of candidates was complete, data validated and candidates would have to sit the examination in their registered centres to avoid confusion.

Inside sources at Knec however hinted that focus is still on ounties that have had cases of examination malpractice.

Kisii, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Kisumu and Migori counties in Western and Nyanza regions have been put on high alert ahead of examinations.

Machakos, Meru, Isiolo, Turkana, West Pokot, Kericho, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties are also on the Knec radar.

Source: The Standard

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