&w=64&q=75)
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has announced the introduction of a mid-year series of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
The announcement was made on Thursday during the release of the 2024 KCSE results.
“Starting this year, and following extensive stakeholder consultations, I wish to announce that the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) will introduce a mid-year series of the KCSE examination to be administered in July every year,” CS Ogamba stated.
The mid-year KCSE examination will cater to a diverse range of candidates.
It specifically targets individuals wishing to retake the KCSE to improve their grades or those who missed the regular examination due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness or other hardships.
In addition, adult learners will also have the opportunity to register for the July series.
The decision to introduce the mid-year examination follows consultations with key education stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and education experts.
The move is expected to alleviate the pressure on students and families by providing an additional opportunity for candidates to achieve their academic goals.
KNEC is expected to release guidelines in the coming weeks on how candidates can register for the July series, including the applicable fees and eligibility requirements.
Schools and examination centres are also expected to receive directives on administering the new examination.
In 2024, President William Ruto initiated a probe into the 3,685 candidates who registered for the 2023 KCSE but failed to sit for the exams, despite their examination fees being covered by the government.
The then Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu expressed concerns that this may also indicate that some schools were inflating registration numbers to meet minimum candidate thresholds for exam centres