The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has given an update on who is not eligible to sit the special July series of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Exam (KCSE). The Council has at the same time announced the timetable for the July Series of KCSE Exams.
According to Knec, Learners attending regular school, sitting the KCSE exam for the first time are not eligible to sit the .
Also, learners who do not meet the requisite qualifications as stipulated in the KNEC regulations for registration of KCSE examination candidates are also not eligible to sit the exam.
KNEC Requirements for KCSE 2025 July exam Registration
KNEC went on to state that candidates will be required to present originals and copies of the following documents which are mandatory for successful registration:
- National Identity (ID) card/ Birth Certificate/ Passport;
- Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination certificate;
- Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination result slip/certificate for repeaters.
- A soft copy of the candidate’s passport photograph.
Continue reading: KNEC releases guidelines for KCSE Repeaters’ exams in July 2025
Also, KNEC stated that any candidate wishing to repeat both full repeaters and partial repeaters will be allowed to do so regardless of the year they sat for their KCSE. However, the candidate needs to produce proof of having registered for KCSE examinations previously.
The National Examination Council introduced a mid-year KCSE series to give a chance to candidates who were not able to sit their exams in the previous year.
KCSE special series exam dates 2025
KNEC has issued a timetable for the KCSE examination July series. Projects for; Art and Design (442); Agriculture (443); Woodwork (444); Metalwork (445); Building Construction (446) and Computer Studies (451) will be administered between January and July, 2025, while theory and pratical papers will be administered from Ist July to Ist August 2025.
NOTE: KNEC registration portal for the July series shall be closed on Friday 21st February 2025 and there will be NO provision for late registration once the portal is closed.
The Education Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba launched the initiative during the release of the 2024 KCSE results on January 9, 2025. He stated that this was meant to cater to candidates who missed the exams due to illness or any other unexpected challenge.
“The examination will target candidates wishing to repeat the KCSE examination and those who may have missed sitting in the examination due to sickness or other unexpected hardships. Adult candidates may also consider registering for the July series examination from this year,” said Ogamba.
The special series exams will take place between July 1, 2025, and August 1, 2025. According to the KNEC circular, registration for the examinations begins on January 27, 2025, and closes on February 21, 202,5 on the KNEC portal.