More than 3.6 million candidates across Kenya are preparing to sit the 2026 national examinations and competency-based assessments, marking the largest examination cohort in the country’s history. The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) will administer the examinations and assessments between October 16 and November 20, 2026, with a total of 3,634,846 candidates registered, representing a 6.13 per cent increase from the 3,424,836 candidates recorded in 2025. Of the registered candidates, 1,380,463 will sit the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), 1,206,028 will take the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA), while 1,048,355 are registered for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). This year marks the first time KCSE candidature has exceeded one million, reflecting the scale of the national examination exercise as Kenya continues its transition from the 8-4-4 system to Competency-Based Education (CBE).
The examination season will begin with KCSE practical and oral papers on October 19, while the KPSEA and KJSEA assessments are scheduled to run from October 26 to 30. The main KCSE examination papers will be administered between November 2 and November 20. Speaking during the official launch of the 2026 examination season at KNEC headquarters in Nairobi on October 5, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba warned candidates, school administrators and examination officials against engaging in examination malpractice. He urged school heads to ensure candidates receive accurate information about examination dates, reporting times and the materials permitted in examination rooms. Ogamba said the government would take firm action against anyone found violating examination regulations, stressing that candidates, centre managers, supervisors and invigilators must adhere to the established guidelines throughout the exercise.
“Let me affirm today that we will have no mercy on anyone who will be found engaging in any form of malpractice. All candidates, centre managers, supervisors and invigilators must comply with examination regulations,” Ogamba said. The Cabinet Secretary also warned school proprietors that failure to comply with examination guidelines would attract serious consequences. In a notable change to the security arrangements, Ogamba announced that armed police officers would not be visibly deployed at KPSEA and KJSEA assessment centres, a move intended to reduce anxiety among younger learners undertaking competency-based assessments. Security arrangements will, however, remain tight during the KCSE examinations to protect the integrity of the process and prevent malpractice. KNEC is expected to deploy 10,765 centre managers, 12,274 supervisors, 57,432 invigilators and 21,388 security officers, with at least two police officers assigned to every KCSE examination centre.
In total, 342,005 contracted professionals are expected to oversee the examination exercise across the country. KNEC will also operate a 24-hour call centre throughout the examination period to enable candidates, examination officials and members of the public to report incidents and seek assistance. The 2026 KCSE examination is also significant because it will be the second-last examination for learners under the 8-4-4 curriculum, with the final cohort expected to sit the examination in 2027 as the country continues implementing Competency-Based Education.
With only days remaining before the first papers begin, teachers are using the final period to revise challenging topics, address gaps in learners’ understanding and complete any outstanding syllabus coverage. Parents and guardians have also been urged to support candidates by providing the necessary learning materials, creating a quiet environment for revision and offering emotional support as examination pressure increases. As the country prepares for the nationwide exercise, the focus remains on ensuring candidates are adequately prepared, examination regulations are followed and the process is conducted in a fair, secure and orderly manner.
