National exams dates released with Grade Three learners also to be assessed
The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) has released the timetable for this year’s KCPE and KCSE examinations and announced that Grade Three learners will for the first time be assessed.
Grade Three learners studying the new competency-based curriculum launched this year will be assessed between 16-20 September before proceeding to the next level. In April, Knec announced that learners will be subjected to a test called Kenya Early Years Assessment.
This is unlike the 8-4-4 curriculum where learners have been sitting their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) at the end of their year in Standard Eight.
The new curriculum – which embraces a 2-6-3-3-3 system – involves two years of pre-primary education, three years of lower primary, three years of upper primary, three years of lower secondary, three years of senior secondary and three years in tertiary education.
GRADE THREE EXAMS
The Grade Three learners will be assessed in English, Mathematics and Integrated Learning to determine their capability to apply the knowledge, skills, attitude and values.
The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education will kick off on October 28 and is expected to end on October 31.
Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) candidates will have their exams kick off officially on November 4 with the final date being November 27.
This year, 1.78 million candidates will be sitting for the two national exams with 1,089,671 candidates registered for KCPE and 698,935 registered for KCSE.
EXAMINATION CHEATING
A total of 10,304 centres across the country are set to administer the exams with the Ministry of Education saying that it is aiming at having zero cases of examination irregularities this year.
According to Knec, any centre that will take part in any examination cheating will have all their results cancelled and called on both teachers and students to observe all the examination guidelines and rules.
“Any person who willfully and maliciously damages examination material will be in violation of Section 30 of the Knec Act and the penalty will be imprisoned for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding Sh5 million or both,” a statement from Knec read in part.