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Knec Circular For Registration of 2023 KCSE & KCPE Candidates

By Hillary KangwanaMay 31, 2025

2023 KCSE, KCPE Registration of Candidates; Official Knec Circular and Guidelines

SUBJECT: REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2023 KCPE, KCSE EXAMINATIONS; AND KCSE QUALIFYING TEST

The registration process for candidates wishing to sit for the 2023 Kenya Cetiificate of Primary Education (KCPE); Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations; and KCSE Qualifying Test is scheduled to commence on 1^st February, 2023 and end on 30^th March, 2023.

In this regard, the Kenya National Examinations Council (I<NEC) wishes to bring to your attention the following information:

Registration of regular Candidates

Heads of institutions with learners attending school in a regular setting are expected to note and ensure that:

Schools with less than five (5) candidates will not be allowed to register candidates for the 2023 examinations as independent examination centres. Such schools are advised to liaise with the respective Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs) to identify an approved KNEC examination centre with more than five (5) candidates for their learners to be registered.
Examination centres with less than thirty (30) candidates shall be hosted in examination centres to be identified by Sub-County Directors, in line with the guidelines provided by KNEC on the
SCDEs and Heads of Institutions are required to log into the KNEC registration portal for capturing of the registration details of the examination centres and candidates using their examination centre log-in credentials.
For KCSE examination, Principals are required to upload candidates’ passport size photographs (300 x 300 pixels).
All candidates registered for KNEC examinations must be bonafide, school-going pupils/students in their respective schools, who are transiting to their respective examination class. Registration of ghost candidates constitutes an examination malpractice, which attracts sanctions, including de-registration of the school as a KNEC examination centre.

I.6 Heads of institutions and SCDEs are expected to ensure accuracy of the registration data for all candidates, including the following:

CotTect spellings and order of candidates’ names as documented in their Birth Ce1iificates;
Gender;
Year of birth;
Citizenship;
Subjects registered for; and Infonnation on different categories of candidates with special needs and disabilities (i.e. Visual Impairments (totally blind who require Braille/ Low Vision); hearing impairment and physical impai1111ent).

1.7 All schools and private candidates shall be expected to adhere to the laid down regulations on entry requirements including payment of examination fees (where applicable), as stipulated in the Regulations and User Guides for the Management of KCPE and KCSE examinations printed and circulated in the year 2017.

2.0 Registration of Private Candidates

Sub-County Directors of Education (SCDEs) are responsible for registration of private candidates (those who are not enrolled in a regular school setting) and are requested to note and ensure the following:

.2.1 All private candidates shall be identified and registered by their respective.SCDEs. The candidates will therefore be expected to address all their registration related issues tlu·ough the SCDEs’ office and follow up on the same tlu-ough the said office.

The candidates shall be required to download, fill in and submit the private candidate’s registration form alongside other documents.
KNEC will only allow one private examination centre per Sub County.
The SCDEs are requested to identify one public school where the private candidates will be hosted during the examination. For KCSE examination, this will be the centre where the candidates will unde1iake the examination projects and sit for their practical examination papers.
During registration of private candidates including those in prison, the registration officers should ensure that the candidate’s passport size photographs are uploaded at the size 300 x 300 pixels.
Registration of KCSE Qualifying Test Candidates

The office of County Director of Education (CDE) is responsible for registration of candidates who wish sit for the KCSE Qualifying Test and are requested to note and ensure the following:

KCSE Qualifying Tests will be administered in County headqumiers and hence, all candidates wishing to sit for the test will be expected to register at their respective County Directors of Education (CDEs) offices.
All the registered candidates will sit for the test in the venue to be identified by their respective
Heads of institutions are required to ensure that all candidates in their institutions bearing foreign certifications or any other local Primary school equivalent certifications seek for Equation services at KNEC and are registered for The Qualifying Test a year before they are due to register for their KCSE examination.
The documents required for the registration of KCSE Qualifying Test registration include:
- A copy of the original CPE certificate for Kenyans who did not sit for KCPE examination;
- A copy of the Equation Letter from KNEC for all candidates holding non-Kenyan (foreign) primary education certifications. The service for obtaining the Equation Letter is available online, through the KNEC website;
- A passport size photograph in a CD (300 x 300pixes).

Examination Fees

All Heads of institutions and SCDEs are expected to adhere to the Regulations and User Guides for the Management ofKCPE and KCSE examinations and in particular, note the following:

The Government of Kenya tlu·ough the Ministry of Education (MoE) shall pay examination fees for all candidates in public and private schools except for the following categories of candidates:
- candidates who are re-sitting/repeating the examinations;
- Non-Citizens (Non Kenyans);
- Private candidates registering in the Sub County Private Examination Centers;
- Candidates in

The summary of examination fees is as follows:

Table 1: Examination Fees for KCPE and KCSE examinations (Regular and Private didates) registering.for the entire examinat:

Description / Examination	KCPE	KCSE
Number of Subjects	5	7	8	9
Total.fees (Kes)	800	5,000	5,400	5,800

Table 2: Examination Fees f<J1· /(CSE examination candidates Re-sitting (repeaters)

Number o[ Subjects I 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 9

Total fees (Kes) I 3,100 I 3,500 I 3,900 I 4,300 I 4,700 I 5,100 I 5,500 I 5,900 6,300

The KCSE Qualifying Test registration fee is 3,000.00 (three thousand) per candidate.
All private candidates will be expected to pay their examination fees directly into the KNEC fees collection account. The fees should be deposited in the respective KNEC examination fees collection accounts in either National Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank or Equity Bank.
The deposit slips should be submitted to the SCDEs who shall forward to KNEC together with other registration documents.
Coding of New Sub-Counties and Registration of New KNEC Examination Centres

The office of County Director of Education (CDE) is responsible for the processes and are requested to note and ensure the following:

Newly created sub-counties requesting for re-coding of their sub-counties and their examination centres within their jurisdiction are expected to submit the following documents to KNEC:
- A copy of the Kenya Gazette notice legalizing creation of the Sub-county;
- List of schools within the new sub-county, indicating their previous codes and the proposed new codes;
- Location of their examination Distribution Centre (Container) and details of the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) or Assistant Deputy County Commissioner (ADCC)
New institutions that had submitted their application to be registered as KNEC examination centres for the 2023 KCPE and KCSE examinations will be notified on the acceptance / non acceptance of their request by KNEC in writing once validation of their request is complete, which includes (and is not limited to) inspection by KNEC. Such institutions must have submitted to KNEC the following:
- A certified copy of a valid registration certificate from the County Director of Education;
- Inspection questionnaire from the Sub County Director of Education, duly filled;
- An Application fom1 duly filled by the school;
- A valid Registration Certificate (expired cer#ficates will not be accepted);
- A Bank deposit slip of as evidence of payment of Examination Centre Registration fees ofKes. 1,000.00 for public schools and Kes. 10,000.00 for private schools.
KNEC will conclude the process of inspection of new examination centres by 3^rd February, 2023. Centres that will not have met this deadline will be expected to liaise with their respective SCDEs for identification of an approved examination centre to host their candidates.
New Examination centres shall not be able to access the KNEC registration portal until their application has been approved by KNEC.

Use of Passwords

All SCDEs and heads of institutions are responsible for the use and security of Passwords issued by KNEC for access to the KNEC po1ials and requested to note the following:

Passwords are confidential and are intended for use by the designated user. Heads of institutions are therefore responsible for the security, custody and access of the passwords for their institutions;
It is of paramount impo1iance for heads of institutions to safeguard their passwords so as to restrict access of the school’s registration and examination related data by unauthorized persons;
In case of loss or forgotten password, the heads of institution should send an email to KNEC ([email protected]) requesting for assistance by KNEC;

All new examination centres (once approved and uploaded on the website) shall access the registration platfonn by keying in their Centre Code as the Username and password. Thereafter, heads of institutions are advised to change the password from the Centre Number to a password of their choice to maintain confidentiality.

Adherence to Registration deadlines

The KNEC Registration portal shall be closed on 30^th March, 2023. Please note that there shall be no late registration of candidates for the 2023 examinations once the p01ial is closed. All the relevant process owners and stakeholders including parents and candidates must therefore be informed on the need to adhere to the set deadlines for registration of the 2023 examinations.

Submission of Registration Materials

Heads of institutions will be expected to present all registration documents for the centres in their respective SCDEs’ offices on 3,·<1 April, 2023 for verification by the SCDEs and KNEC officers before submission.· · · · ·

By a copy of this communication, you are hereby requested to ensure that the regulation and guidelines on registration of the 2023 KCPE and KCSE examination candidates are adhered to, for effective administration of the examinations.

The Principal Secretary State Department of Education, Ministry of Education,

P.O. Box 30040- 00100

NAIROBI

All Regional Directors of Education