The Ministry of Education has given direction on the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
The ministry on Thursday, October 19, confirmed that rehearsals for the 2025 KCSE examinations will proceed as scheduled on Friday despite the government declaring it a public holiday to honour the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Education said the decision was made to avoid disruptions to the national exam calendar. They noted that rehearsals are a critical part of the examination process and cannot be postponed.
“Normally, rehearsals are not interfered with and officers on the ground have been duly briefed,” a senior official at the Ministry of Education told Nation.
KCSE rehearsals to proceed despite holiday
Rehearsals are designed to help candidates familiarise themselves with exam rules, room arrangements, and procedures.
During this time, students are briefed on the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) guidelines regarding time management, acceptable conduct, prohibited and permitted items in the exam room.
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At the same time, teachers, invigilators, and supervisors review protocols on invigilation, the handling of exam materials, and ensuring the integrity of the exams.
The KCSE national examinations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, starting with oral exams in French, Arabic, German, and Kenya Sign Language.
This year’s exams notably come at a time of significant transition in the education sector, as the country continues to implement Competency-Based Education (CBE).
National examinations
In addition to the KCSE candidates, 1,130,669 learners have registered for the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA). This year’s KJSEA will be the first-ever exit exam for Junior Secondary School under the CBE. Rehearsals are scheduled for October 24, with exams from October 27 to November 3, 2025.
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On the other hand, 1,298,089 learners are set to sit for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA). Rehearsals are scheduled for October 24, with exams set to run from October 27 to October 29, 2025.
In September, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) released comprehensive guidelines for the nomination and deployment of center managers, supervisors, and invigilators for the 2025 national examinations, including KCSE, KJSEA, the Kenya Pre-Vocational Learners Education Assessment (KPLEA), Kenya Intermediate Learners Education Assessment (KILEA), and KPSEA Summative Assessment.
KCSE supervisors will receive briefings weekly, and outgoing supervisors are expected to prepare handover notes for their successors. For KCSE oral and practical examination papers, supervisors only need to be present at the examination centre itself.
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