What You Need To Know About KCSE Repeat Exam Registration; Timelines, Fees & Who Cannot Register

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released guidelines for the upcoming July series of the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination with effect from the year 2025, as announced by Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba.

According to a circular issued by KNEC, registration for the exams will commence on Monday, January 27 and end on Friday, February 21, 2025. The registration process will be coordinated and conducted at County headquarters through the offices of County Directors of Education (CDES) on the KNEC registration portal.

"Candidates wishing to register for the July series are therefore expected to present themselves at their respective County headquarters within the stipulated period to complete the registration process," read the guidelines in part signed by KNEC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Njengere.

The exam series is a new intervention by the Ministry of Education that will give Kenyans who want to retake the exams an early opportunity. This includes repeaters (candidates who have sat the KCSE examination in previous years) who wish to improve their grades. Full repeaters (registering for seven or more subjects) and partial repeaters (registering for less than seven subjects) are included.

Candidates who registered for the KCSE examination but were unable to sit due to unforeseen circumstances, such as sickness, are also eligible for this exam series. These include adult learners who are not in regular schools but have proof of the requisite primary education qualifications.

It is worth noting though that all repeaters and private candidates must register for the July series and not the November KCSE examination series.

Non-Eligibility

"The following category of learners are NOT eligible to register for the July series: Learners attending regular school, sitting the KCSE examination for the first time," added KNEC.

"Learners who do not meet the requisite qualifications as stipulated in the KNEC Regulations for registration of KCSE examination candidates."

Requirements

To register for this exam series, candidates will be required to present originals and copies of the following documents which are mandatory for successful registration:

1. Statutory identification documents (National Identity (ID) card/Birth Certificate/Passport);
2. Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination certificate;
3. Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination result slip/certificate for repeaters;
4. A soft copy of the candidate's passport photograph.

Education Officers in charge of the registration of private candidates must ensure that all eligible candidates download, fill in and submit the Private Candidate's Registration Form and all other required documents. They will also be required to upload their correct passport-size photographs (300 x 300 pixels). KNEC states that there will be no replacement/changing of photographs once the registration period is over.

"Any candidate wishing to repeat (full repeaters or partial repeaters) will be allowed to do so, regardless of the year they sat their KCSE examination, as long as there is proof of having registered for KCSE examination previously," added KNEC.

All candidates must adhere to the regulations that are laid down for subject entry requirements for grading (subject clusters) as stipulated in the 'Revised Regulations for KCSE examination (2024)' and ensure that the registration data presented is accurate and error-free.

This includes correct spelling and order of candidates' names as documented in their KCPE examination certificates and other qualifying documents; gender; year of birth, citizenship; entry Codes; Birth Certificate number; subjects registered for; and category of special needs and disabilities (where applicable). The categories catered for should be indicated as either Visual Impairment-blind or low vision candidates, Hearing Impairment - HI (Deaf); and Physical Impairment - PL.

Registration Fees

The fees payable for registration will be Ksh7,200.00 and shall be borne by the candidate. The fees shall be paid at the point of registration through E-Citizen, as per the details provided in the KNEC registration platform. "Please note that fee payment is mandatory for successful registration," adds KNEC.

Timetable & Results

The exams are set to start this month, with Projects for Art and Design, Agriculture, Woodwork, Metalwork, Building Construction, and Computer Studies being administered between January and July 2025. Theory and practical papers will be administered from July 1 to August 1, 2025.

“The theory and practical papers will be administered at County headquarters, while projects will be administered at the sub-county level in institutions to be identified by the respective SCDEs,” Njengere stated.

As for the results, KNEC will issue KCSE certificates to candidates who repeat seven subjects or more, while candidates repeating less than seven subjects will be issued a result slip for the subjects they will have repeated.

KNEC has warned that the registration portal for the July series shall be closed on Friday, February 21, 2025, "and there will be NO provision for late registration of candidates once the portal is closed."