The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has announced new guidelines for the registration of this year’s Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams. The examination body, in a notice signed by its Chief Executive Officer, David Njengere, has emphasized strict compliance to avoid malpractices, including the registration of ghost candidates.
The registration process, which began in January, is set to close on February 28. KNEC has instructed that all heads of institutions with learners under the regular education pathway must register their Grade 6 students afresh through the KNEC online registration portal. The council has warned that any attempt to register non-existent candidates will attract severe sanctions, including the de-registration of the school as a KNEC assessment center.
To ensure accuracy, KNEC has directed that corrections to candidates’ biodata should be made during the registration period. This includes the correct spelling and order of learners’ names as per their birth certificates, gender, year of birth, and citizenship status. Any candidates seeking transfers to other schools must complete the process before the portal closes, as late transfers will not be accommodated.
For candidates who have not yet been registered in the Grade 6 portal, KNEC has clarified that they must first obtain an Assessment Number. Without this number, learners will not be able to register for KPSEA. Once assigned the Assessment Number, the heads of institutions will then proceed with their registration on the portal.
Additionally, KNEC has mandated that all heads of institutions verify the uploading of School-Based Assessment (SBA) scores for Grades 4 and 5 before registering candidates for KPSEA. This measure is meant to ensure that all students’ continuous assessment records are in place before they sit for their final assessment.
For the Kenya Intermediate Level Education Assessment (KILEA), the identification of learners following the stage-based pathway will be guided by their teachers. Institutions are required to confirm learners’ readiness before registering them through the KILEA registration portal.
In an effort to ensure equitable access to education, the government will cover assessment fees for all candidates in both public and private schools. However, non-citizen candidates will be required to pay a fee of Sh750 through the E-Citizen platform.
Furthermore, KNEC has reminded all Centre Managers that, under Sections 25, 26, and 29 of the Data Protection Act of 2019, parents and guardians of KPSEA candidates must consent to the collection of their children’s data. This data will be used exclusively for assessment purposes, and KNEC has assured compliance with data protection regulations. To finalize the process, candidates will be required to sign the nominal rolls and other accountability documents after verifying the accuracy of their details.
With the deadline approaching, school heads, parents, and students must ensure compliance with KNEC’s guidelines to facilitate a smooth registration process and uphold the integrity of the examination system.
