Thousands of teacher trainees who failed their assessments will get another chance after the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) announced supplementary exams ahead of the March 2027 graduation.
In a notice dated November 3, 2026, KNEC said registration for the January and February 2027 supplementary assessments would run from November 9 to December 15, 2026.
“The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) received a formal request from the Kenya Teachers Colleges Principals Association seeking consideration for the administration of Supplementary assessments to the teacher trainees who were referred in previous assessments to enable the affected trainees to meet the assessment requirements for graduation scheduled for March 2027,” read part of the statement.
The announcement comes after 9,792 out of the 25,098 candidates who sat the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) final examination were referred, representing 39.02 per cent of the total candidates.
This means nearly two in every five candidates who sat the examination did not meet the assessment requirements.
Teachers across the country raised concerns over the difficulty of School-Based Assessments (SBAs), arguing that the tasks were too advanced for the learners expected to complete them.
KNEC Gives Teacher Trainees Another Chance to Qualify for Graduation
According to KNEC, the assessments will target trainees enrolled in the Diploma in Primary Education (DPTE), Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (DSTE) and Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE) programmes.
The council also announced an opportunity for trainees who missed the July 2026 Year One and Year Two College-Based Assessments (CLBAs) to sit the assessments during the supplementary examination period.
The affected categories include Diploma in Primary Teacher Education Preprimary and Primary (DTE PP&P) and Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (DSTE).
KNEC scheduled the supplementary assessments for January 18 to February 12, 2027. The council will issue individual assessment timetables after the registration exercise.
The council clarified that only teacher trainees referred in previous assessments would qualify for registration.
Registered trainees will be required to sit both the College-Based Assessments and summative assessments in accordance with the respective timetables.
KNEC further directed colleges with fewer than five trainees to identify approved assessment centres with more than 10 trainees rather than register as independent centres.
Assessment centres with fewer than 10 trainees will also be hosted in KNEC-approved colleges with more than 10 trainees during the exercise.
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Payment Details and Other Guidelines
On fees, each trainee will pay Ksh7,200 for the supplementary assessments in a single instalment. Those referred for practicum will pay an additional Ksh5,000 for the practicum assessment.
Principals will be required to generate invoices after registering their trainees, with payments to be made through e-Citizen.
KNEC directed that only teacher trainees referred in previous assessments would qualify for registration. Those registered will be required to sit both the College-Based Assessments (CLBAs) and summative assessments according to the examination timetables.
The council further stated that colleges with fewer than five teacher trainees would not be allowed to operate as independent assessment centres. Such institutions will be required to identify KNEC-approved colleges with more than 10 trainees where they can register their candidates. Assessment centres with fewer than 10 trainees will also be hosted by approved colleges with more than 10 trainees during the exercise.
Also Read: KCSE 2026: Reasons KNEC May Withhold Candidates’ Results
Each trainee will pay Ksh7,200 in supplementary assessment fees in a single instalment. Those referred in practicum will pay an additional Ksh5,000 for the practicum assessment.
KNEC directed principals to generate invoices after completing the registration of trainees. Payments will be made through e-Citizen using the payment link provided on the registration platform.
At the end of the registration period, principals must submit signed nominal rolls bearing the signatures of the trainees and the principal, medical reports for trainees living with disabilities, and proof of assessment fee payment, along with the corresponding invoices.
The documents must be submitted to the Teacher Education Assessments Management Services Department at New Mitihani House in South C by December 30, 2026.
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