The Ministry of Education has provided clarity on the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations in light of the government declaring Friday, November 1, 2024, a public holiday.
Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi announced the holiday in a gazette notice on Thursday evening to facilitate the swearing-in ceremony for Deputy President-designate Prof. Kithure Kindiki, which will occur at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.
In response to the public holiday declaration, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba reassured the public that the KCSE exams, which commenced on October 22, will proceed as planned.
He stressed that the holiday would not interfere with the examination papers scheduled for that day.
“The Ministry of Education would like to clarify that the public holiday will not disrupt the KCSE Examination papers set for Friday, November 1, 2024,” Ogamba confirmed.
Members of the multi-agency examination administration team have been directed to fulfill their duties as usual to ensure that the day’s examination activities are conducted smoothly, in alignment with the Ministry’s directives.
This instruction extends to all basic education institutions currently in session.
According to the timetable from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), the exams scheduled for Friday include practical assessments for Home Science, Art and Design, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Aviation Technology, and Computer Studies.
This year’s KCSE is taking place across 10,755 examination centers, with a record total of 965,501 candidates, a notable increase from 903,138 in 2023.
The candidates began with practical and oral assessments for elective subjects, while the main written examinations are set to start on November 4.
Rehearsals for the exams occurred on October 28, covering oral subjects like French and German, as well as practicals in Kenyan Sign Language and music.
KNEC has implemented new features for this year’s KCSE papers to combat cheating.
CS Ogamba outlined these innovations during the launch of the 2024 national examinations season at Mitihani House in Nairobi on October 4, which include customized papers with candidates’ details pre-printed.
In another update, grade six students concluded their three-day Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) on Thursday, finishing with creative arts and social studies papers.
These assessments aim to evaluate student progress and support the transition to Junior School.
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