The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has implemented a series of reforms aimed at enhancing exam security and combating malpractice as the 2025 national tests approach, starting on October 17.
A key change is the adoption of customised examination papers for both the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and the first-ever Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA). Each script will display the candidate’s name, index number, and a signature panel—steps intended to make impersonation virtually impossible.
Learners will now write their answers directly in the exam booklet, which will feature detachable counterfoils that will be collected separately after each session.
According to KNEC, this shift is designed to improve accountability and streamline the marking process.
“This innovation promotes fairness, transparency, and integrity in the marking process. Every candidate will have a uniquely identifiable paper, reducing the chances of cheating,” explained KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere during the official unveiling of the 2025 exam season at Mtihani House, South C.
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In another first, the council will test digital smart padlocks on 250 storage facilities. These locks, which offer real-time monitoring, are expected to add an extra layer of security against unauthorised access. Officials assigned to the locks will undergo specialised training ahead of deployment.
Njengere also confirmed that the dual collection system—separating morning and afternoon papers—will remain in place, a method credited with limiting early exam leaks.
This year marks the largest cohort in Kenya’s history, with 3.42 million students taking national exams: 996,078 in the KCSE, 1,298,089 in the KPSEA, and 1,130,669 in the KJSEA.
To support the process, KNEC plans to deploy nearly 55,000 invigilators alongside more than 22,000 security officers countrywide.
“Supervisors and invigilators are the frontline defenders of exam credibility. We count on their professionalism to safeguard the future of our learners,” Njengere emphasised.
KNEC Chairperson Julius Nyabudi echoed these sentiments, stressing that the changes are geared toward ensuring results represent authentic student effort. “In administering examinations and assessments, we must ensure fairness, transparency, and integrity to maintain the credibility of our education system,” he said.
The reforms come at a time when KNEC is under increasing scrutiny to close loopholes that have previously enabled exam leaks and irregularities, undermining public trust in Kenya’s testing system.
By Joseph Mambili
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