KNEC Opens 2025 KCSE Exams Registration, Issues Guidelines

The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) has notified the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) Examination candidates that registration for the November papers has begun.

According to a circular released on Tuesday addressed to sub-county directors of education and school principals, the registration commenced on February 17 and will run until March 28, 2025.

KNEC also emphasised that the exercise will be conducted strictly online, which will require schools to log onto the KNEC portal, www.knec-portal.ac.ke, to facilitate the process using their examination center login credentials.

Following the announcement, KNEC also outlined several guidelines the institutions needed to follow during the registration process.

Firstly, principals were informed that they were responsible for the registration of their candidates and that all candidates registered were eligible to sit the exam.

However, they were also warned against registering non-existent students as that would be considered exam malpractice, a prosecutable crime.

“Registration of ghost candidates constitute an examination malpractice, which attracts sanctions, including de-registration of the school as a KNEC examination centre,” part of the notice read.

Candidates were asked to make themselves familiar with regulations on subject entry requirements for grading as stipulated in the KNEC Rules and Regulations (2015) and the User Guide for Management of KCSE Examination (2nd Edition 2024).

These can be accessed from the KNEC website at www.knec.ac.ke/downloads. 

Another directive issued to the candidates was for them to upload their correct passport-size photographs (300 x 300 pixels) as there would be no revisions once the registration period ended.

They were required to ensure that their registration details were captured correctly, including; gender, year of birth, citizenship, entry Codes (1st, 2nd, or 3rd attempt), Birth Certificate number, and subjects registered for.

Special needs candidates were urged to mark their categories accurately as well. 

This would be; ‘B’ for visually impaired candidates who require Braille and ‘LV’ for visually impaired candidates who require Large Print papers.