All you need to know about the ongoing KCSE exam

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam that begun on Friday will be conducted for 15 days. It will end on April 21.

It will be the first time the examination will be held at a different period other than November-December.

This year’s examination will be conducted in 10,437 schools, with a record registration of 752,933 candidates. It will be the 32nd exam.

This is the first year, the examination council is opting to register students who might have been left out of the registration process to sit the exam.

It is mandatory for students to wear masks during the examination period.

Students will also be required to sit two metres apart to ensure social distancing in line with health protocols to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Students who fall ill of Covid-19 during the examination period will take their exams in isolation rooms.

Candidates are only required to take a maximum of eight subjects but only seven determine the final score.

Students take a maximum of two paper each day.

Just as it has been in the previous years, the subjects tested include, English, Swahili and Mathematics, all compulsory.

In the sciences category, they have the option of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Students should do a minimum of two.

The third set of subjects include History and Government, Geography, Christian Religious Education, Islamic Religious Education, and Hindu Religious Education.

Student are required to do a minimum of one, that is if he or she is pursuing all the three sciences.

Home Science, Art and Design, Agriculture, Computer studies, Aviation, Electricity, Power Mechanics and Woodwork are classified as group four.

The fifth and final group of subjects are French, German, Music, and Business Studies.

A student is only required to take two subjects in the two latter groups of subjects.

The grading varies from A to E with the latter being the lowest score.

Candidates sitting this year's exam will join colleges or universities in September.