New- KNEC instructs schools to register all 2020 candidates for KCSE, KCPE exams this year in term 3; says no late registration and issues warning on passwords

May 31, 2025 Hillary Kangwana

The Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, has instructed schools to register all candidates sitting for 2020 exams in September, 2019. This means that class seven pupils and Form three students will be enlisted for the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams this year, respectively. This is a break from the past where candidates were registered between January and March of the examination year. Consequently, registration for the 2020 National exams will be completed even before the 2019 candidates write their exams.

Consequently, all class seven pupils and form threes will be enlisted for the exams as the registration is to be completed within September, 2019.

Here is the Circular by Dr. Mercy G. Karogo, MBS Ag. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; dated 31st July, 2019;

‘SUBJECT: REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2020 KCPE, KCSE AND
KCSE QUALIFYING TEST (QT) EXAMINATIONS

1.0
The Kenya National Examinations Council wishes to bring to your attention the following information as regards the registration of 2020 KCPE, KCSE and KCSE Qualifying Test examinations.

1.1 The registration of candidates for the 2020 KCPE, KCSE and KCSE QT examinations will start from 2nd September 2019 and end on 30th September, 2019

1.2 Any school that has between 6 and 14 candidates will be hosted by another centre to be determined by the Sub County Director of Education. The information on such schools should be submitted to KNEC together with the registration materials. The hosted school will retain its code during registration of candidates. Schools with less than five (5) candidates are advised to register their candidates in another approved examination centre.

Important links:

1.3 Head teachers and Sub County Education Officers are required to log onto the KNEC website: https://www.knec-portal.ac.ke for capturing of the registration details of the candidates and uploading of the photographs using the registration password for the respective examination center.

1.4 All candidates in class seven (7) and form three (3) must be registered where they have been learning. Registration in two centres (double registration) will be treated as an examination malpractice.

1.5 All candidates for both KCPE and KCSE examination will be issued with an INDEX NUMBER as per the school’s ADMISSION REGISTER

1.6/New schools wishing to be considered as 2020 KCPE and KCSE examination centres should submit to KNEC the following documents:-
1.6.1 Valid registration certificate from Education; the County Director of
1.6.2 Duly filled inspection questionnaire from Director of Education; the Sub County
1.6.3 Duly filled application form from the school. This information
should reach KNEC by 30th August, 2019. KNEC will accept application forms for new centres later than the stated deadline.
NB: Expired registration certificates will not be accepted.

1.7 New Sub Counties wishing to be allocated a KNEC code and coding of the schools should submit the following to KNEC:
1.7.1
A Kenya Gazette notice legalizing the creation of the Sub County;
1.7.2 List of Schools showing their previous codes and the proposed
new codes;
1.7.3 Location of the storage facility (Container) and details of the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) or Assistant Deputy County Commissioner (ADCC) office.
This information should reach KNEC before 30th August, 2019.

2.0 KCSE PRIVATE CANDIDATES

2.1 All private candidates shall be registered at the Sub County Director of Education.
2.2 Candidates wishing to register privately will be required to download the private candidate registration form from the KNEC website, complete it as required and present it to the respective Sub County Education office for further instructions within the registration period.

For registration of the KCSE candidates, KNEC will only allow one private examination centre per Sub County. Private candidates are not allowed to individually deposit money into the KNEC collection accounts and Sub-County Education officers are asked to ensure compliance to this regulation.

3.0 PRIVATE CANDIDATES FOR THE KCPE EXAMINATION

3.1 All non-formal centres for the KCPE examination shall be expected to register their candidates with the Sub County Education offices and to upload candidates’ photographs online. No hard copies of photographs should be submitted to KNEC. All non-formal schools for the KCPE examination are required to submit their registration certificate from the Ministry of Education (MOE);

3.2 All Heads of Institutions and Sub County Education officers registering
private candidates are asked to note that there will be no keying or amending of candidates’ details after 31st October, 2019.

3.3 All schools and private candidates shall be expected to adhere to entry requirements as stipulated in the registration instructions for registration of candidates for the KCPE and KCSE examinations as stipulated in the regulations and Examination Manual for each examination printed and circulated in 2017

4.0 DOCUMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES

4.1 The Kenya National Examinations Council shall not send any documents for registration of candidates for the 2020 KCPE and KCSE examinations.

4.2 All documents for the registration of candidates are to be down loaded from the KNEC website.

5.0 EXAMINATION FEES

5.1 The government of Kenya shall pay examination fees for all candidates in public and private schools except for the following:

5.1.1 candidates who are re-sitting/repeaters;
5.1.2 Non-citizens candidates;
5.1.3 Private candidates registering in the Sub County private examination centres;
5.2 All private candidates will be expected to pay their examination fees
directly to the KNEC fees collection accounts and the deposit slips should
be given to the Sub County Director of Education who will be expected to submit them to KNEC together with other registration documents. The Sub County Director of Education are requested to ensure that such candidates are dully registered.

5.3 The KCSE Qualifying Test registration fee is Kes. 3000/= (three thousand) per candidate. The fees should be deposited in the KNEC KCSE fees collection accounts in either National Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank or Equity Bank.

6.0 USE OF PASSWORD FOR REGISTRATION OF CANDIDATES

6.1 Passwords are confidential to each school and should be secured by the head teacher. In the event that a school has lost forgotten its password, the head teacher should send an email to KNEC ([email protected]).

6.2 All new centres once approved and uploaded on the website shall access the registration platform by keying in their centre number as both the user name and password. Head teachers are advised to change the password from the centre number to a password of their choice to maintain confidentiality,

6.3 Heads of institutions and Sub County Directors of Education are advised to safeguard their passwords to restrict access of the school’s registration data by unauthorized persons.

7.0 REGISTRATION OF KCSE QUALIFYING TEST CANDIDATES

7.1 All candidates will be registered at the Sub County Director of Education office.

7.2 All the registered candidates will be hosted at the County Director of Education headquarters during the administration of the examination.

7.3 Heads of institutions shall be required to ensure that all candidates with foreign certificates are registered for Qualifying Test a year before they are due to register for KCSE.

7.4 Documents required for the KCSE Qualifying Test registration:

7.4.1 A copy of original CPE certificate;
7.4.2 Copy of letter of Equation from KNEC for all candidates holding
a foreign primary education certificate. Please note that the equation letter is obtained from the KNEC Archives office at New Mitihani House South C, Mombasa Road;
7.4.3 A passport size photograph in a CD (300 x 300pixes);
7.4.4 Certified bank deposit slip of Kes. 3,000/= per candidate;
7.4.5 Candidates without the requisite registration documents should not be registered.

7.5 Categories of candidates required to sit for the KCSE Qualifying Test
7.5.1 All prospective 2020 KCSE candidates with CPE certificate;
7.5.2 All candidates who failed the 2016, 2017 and 2018 KCSE Qualifying Test and wish to register for the 2020 KCSE examination;
7.5.3 All 2019 form three (3) students wishing to register for 2020 KCSE examination but hold foreign primary education certificates that are not equivalent to KCPE.

7.6 All the above category of students must have a minimum of three (3) years of secondary education or have been out of school for three years after sitting for their Primary examination.

8.0 LATE REGISTRATION
There will be no late registration of candidates.

9.0 VERIFICATION OF CANDIDATES REGISTRATION DETAILS

All heads of institution are expected to ensure all candidates registration details are captured correctly and every candidate has confirmed the same and signed the nominal roll.

10.0 SUBMISSION OF REGISTRATION MATERIALS TO KNEC

10.1 The Sub County Director of Education will be informed on when to submit to KNEC all registration documents from the schools and private candidates.
10.2 For details on registration of KCPE and KCSE candidates you are advised to refer to the KNEC instructions manual (A guide for Management and Administration of National Examinations); First Edition, 2017.’

Important links:

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