For the next three years, students who are unhappy with their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results have the chance to improve their scores. This opportunity will allow students to retake their exams before the KCSE is officially discontinued from the education system. This initiative aims to provide a fair chance to all students to better their scores and gain eligibility for tertiary education.
David Njeng'ere, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), has confirmed that the first round of mid-year KCSE examinations will begin in July 2025, with results expected by August. This will give candidates from 2024 a chance to retake exams and potentially improve their grades, allowing them to qualify for tertiary education alongside those who already meet the requirements for the September intake.
Anyone dissatisfied with their KCSE results, even those who took the exams years ago, can register for the mid-year examinations. Njeng'ere emphasized that the only candidates who will be barred from retaking the exam are current students still in school.
“We’ll issue a circular next week and provide a timetable for the examinations,” Njeng'ere stated. “Even if you took KCSE 10 years ago, you can participate in the mid-year exam in July. Since the KCSE will be phased out in three years, we want to avoid overloading the process in the final year.”
The final KCSE examination under the current 8-4-4 education system will be administered in 2027. Njeng'ere urged those interested in retaking the exams to take advantage of the remaining opportunities before the system transitions to the competency-based assessment model.
"Any person wishing to retake the exam, either fully or partially, should seize the remaining chances,” he reiterated.
The mid-year KCSE exams will be administered at various county headquarters. KNEC had already piloted this system in 2024, when private candidates took their exams at these headquarters. The mid-year exam initiative was officially announced by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba during the release of the 2024 KCSE results.
Dr. Njeng'ere mentioned that the same examiners would be used for both the mid-year and regular KCSE exams. He advised the Ministry of Education to work closely with the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) to ensure that mid-year exam results are considered for university placements.
This new remedial examination window offers hope for those aiming to upgrade their KCSE performance and pursue higher education or better career opportunities.
Savanis