KCSE 2018 Instructions and Guidelines to Teachers and Candidates

This article provides an overview of KCSE 2018 Instructions and Guidelines directed to both teachers and candidates as provide for by Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC/TD/SE/KCSE/TT/18/005).

Instructions to teachers

TEACHERS are advised to ensure that the candidates read these instructions and guidelines carefully and adhere to The candidates should be made aware of the penalties for examination irregularities or misconduct.

Instructions to to KCSE Candidates

• 1. Avail yourself for searching outside the examination room and be seated at your desk/table 15 minutes before the time fixed for the examination in the various The first session will start at 8.00 a.m. followed by the second session as indicated on the timetable.
  2. A candidate who arrives late will be required to give a satisfactory reason to the Only in exceptional circumstances will a paper be given to any candidate who is more than half an hour late. Absolute punctuality is essential for all papers.
  3. Check the question paper you have been given to confirm that it is the paper you registered
  4. If an examination paper for which you are not registered is handed to you, or if the questions indicate that a map or other material should also have been provided, inform the Supervisor at
  5. Attend carefully to any general instructions that may be given on the first page of a paper, g. instructions limiting the number of questions that should be answered.
  6. Check to ensure that each page of your question paper is
  7. Write your name, index number, sign and write the date of the examination on the answer
  8. Write on both sides of the paper, but do not use the Begin the answer to each separate part of a question on a fresh line.
  9. Write the number of the question clearly in the left-hand margin at the beginning of each Do not copy the question. Be careful to use the same system of numbering as appears in the question paper. Leave a blank line after the answer to each question.
  10. Write your responses in black or blue You may use fountain pen or ball point pen. Pencils should only be used for diagrams. Bring mathematical and drawing instruments for subjects for which they will be needed.
  11. Read each question A lot of time may be wasted in writing down information that is not asked for and no marks will be given for it.
  12. Do not spend too much time on one or two Leave yourself adequate time to answer other questions.
  13. As soon as notice is given to stop, make sure your name, index number, signature and the date of the examination are written on the answer booklet and then hand it over to the supervisor/
  14. KNEC should be notified of withdrawal from the examination not later than 31st May 2018.

Caution to KCSE Candidates

• 1. You are not allowed to leave the examination room before the end of the period allocated to the paper except with special permission from the NO CANDIDATE SO PERMITTED TO LEAVE MAY TAKE A QUESTION PAPER OR ANSWER BOOKLET OUT OF THE EXAMINATION ROOM.
  2. Do not leave a sheet of paper you have written on or your answers in such a position that another candidate can read You should not give or obtain unfair assistance, or attempt to do so, whether by copying or in any other way, and your work should not show proof of such unfair assistance.
  3. No communication whatsoever in whatever manner between candidates or with outsiders is allowed during the
  4. You are not allowed to have in your possession or in your proximity while in the examination room, any book, notes, papers or any other materials whatsoever except the correct question papers and any materials expressly authorized by the Kenya National Examinations
  5. You may only use mathematical tables printed by the Kenya National Examinations Council, and these should not contain any additional notes except the printed information. If you are using a calculator as permitted by the Regulations, it should be the specified non programmable calculator. If in doubt, check with the
  6. You must return immediately to the Supervisor any question paper that has smudges, errors or is badly
  7. You must not take any used or unused paper out of the examination Any rough work must be done on the official answer booklet and, if not to be submitted with the answers, must be left on the desk to be collected by the Supervisor and destroyed.
  8. Any misconduct or causing of disturbance in or near the examination room will be treated as an examination
  9. For practical papers to be taken in shifts, all candidates taking the examination must avail themselves for Any candidate who does not present him/herself for confinement will have committed an examination irregularity.
  10. Cell phones or any other electronic communication device are prohibited in examination centres. Any candidate caught in possession of a cell phone/any other electronic communication device will have his/her results

Penalty For Examination Irregularities

The KNEC Act 29 of 2012 Offences and Penalties stated in Sections 27 to 40 for cases of examination irregularities will apply. Some of the highlights in these Sections state that:

1. A candidate who commits an examination irregularity in any paper will have the results for the WHOLE SUBJECT Such a candidate will not be entitled to a result and will be awarded result “Y” overall.
2. If there is evidence of wide-spread irregularities in any examination centre, the examination results for the whole centre will be cancelled.

Any person who:

1. 1. gains access to examination material and knowingly reveals the contents, whether orally or in writing, to an unauthorized party, whether a candidate or not, will be in violation of Section 27 of the Act and the penalty will be imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or a fine not exceeding two million shillings or both;
   2. willfully and maliciously damages examination material will be in violation of Section 30 of the Act and the penalty will be imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding five million shillings or both;
   3. is not registered to take a KNEC examination but, with intent to impersonate, presents or attempts to present himself to take the part of an enrolled candidate will be in violation of Section 31 of the Act, and shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding two million shillings or both and shall be prohibited from taking an examination conducted by or on behalf of the Council for a period of three years.
   4. Please ensure that you do not commit any examination irregularity to avoid having your results

Source: KNEC, 2018

We as members of Schools Net Kenya take this opportunity to wish all the KCSE candidates Success Before, During and After the Examination. God Bless the Work of thy Hands!! Antonio, SNK Admin