Last KCSE exam to be administered in 2027 - Knec CEO

The last Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination will be administered in 2027, KNEC CEO David Njeng'ere has announced.

He announced on Thursday, during the release of the 2024 KCSE exam results at Mtihani House.

"I wish to remind the public that the last KCSE examination will be administered in 2027. Any person wishing to repeat fully or partially should take advantage of the remaining chances to do so," he said.

After 2027, the 38-year-old exams will come to an end.

The marking of exams concluded on December 13, 2024, after an extensive effort by examiners across 35 designated marking centres.

The 2024 KCSE exams took place in 10,755 centres, with a record-high of 965,501 candidates sitting the exams, an increase from 903,138 in 2023.

Njeng'ere said the Council engaged 30,370 examiners for the marking of the 2024 KCSE examination papers in 40 marking centres.

"I wish to sincerely thank the Centre Managers and examiners for their invaluable contribution towards the successful marking process, that culminates into processing of the results we are releasing today," he said.

A total of 965,501 candidates registered for the KCSE examination, recording a 6.89% increase in candidature, when compared to the 903,260 candidates presented for the examination in 2023.

KCSE brief history

The first KCSE exam was held in 1989 at the same time as the last Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE), which it replaced as the entrance requirement for Kenyan universities.

In 1989, the KCSE included 10 subjects, but was later reviewed in 1992 and changed to 7 subjects under the presidency of Daniel arap Moi.

The KCSE examinations are taken under very strict supervision by the invigilators to avoid cheating and run for a period of about one month. 

Cheating in these examinations attracts severe penalties from the Kenya National Examination Council, and students caught cheating get their grades canceled.