Grade 6, 9 learners rehearse ahead of national assessments

Grade 6 and Grade 9 learners will get a final opportunity to familiarise themselves with national assessment procedures on Friday, as the Kenya National Examinations Council prepares to administer tests to more than 2.58 million candidates beginning next week.

The rehearsals will focus on practical requirements that candidates must observe, from confirming personal details printed on their papers to correctly marking answers on sheets used by electronic marking machines. The exercise will also allow assessment officials to check their preparedness before learners begin sitting the tests.

According to figures released by KNEC, 1,380,463 learners have registered for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA), while 1,206,028 are expected to sit the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA). The combined registration stands at 2,586,491 candidates.

KPSEA will take place from Monday, October 26, to Wednesday, October 28, while KJSEA will run from October 26 to Friday, October 30.

The two assessments are being conducted alongside the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, whose oral and practical papers began on October 19. Written KCSE examinations are scheduled to start on November 2.

With more than 1.04 million candidates registered for KCSE, the number of learners taking the three national examinations and assessments this year has reached 3.63 million.

During Friday’s orientation, candidates will be required to check their names, school information and assessment numbers to ensure the details recorded by KNEC are accurate. They will also learn the consequences of violating examination rules and the procedures they must follow throughout the assessments.

Learners will be shown how to identify their designated desks, which are arranged according to assessment numbers. This is intended to ensure they can locate their seats without difficulty when the actual tests begin.

Another important requirement is the verification of information printed on question papers and assessment scripts. Each learner’s papers contain their individual details, which candidates must check and sign on their scripts before answering the questions.

KNEC will also use the rehearsals to familiarise candidates with Optical Mark Reader (OMR) sheets, which are used to record answers to multiple-choice questions in both assessments.

Under the revised instructions, learners must shade the oval spaces completely rather than draw ticks or lines through them. Incomplete or incorrectly marked responses may not be recognised by electronic marking machines, putting candidates at risk of losing marks despite selecting the correct answers.

Practice OMR sheets are available through the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal. Parents and teachers can download the samples to help learners practise the required technique before the assessments begin.

Candidates will also be given an opportunity to seek clarification on assessment procedures, including the materials they are permitted to carry into examination rooms and items that are prohibited.

The rehearsals are particularly important for learners sitting the assessments for the first time, as they provide an opportunity to understand the process before the pressure of the actual tests.

KNEC will use the exercise to evaluate the readiness of assessment centres and ensure officials understand their assigned responsibilities.

The council has contracted more than 340,000 professionals, including centre managers, supervisors, invigilators and script markers, to support this year’s national examinations and assessments.

Centre managers oversee the overall running of examination centres. Supervisors monitor the conduct of assessments and brief invigilators before allocating their duties, while invigilators remain in examination rooms to monitor candidates during the tests. Invigilators are required to stand at the back of the room while the assessments are underway.

For KPSEA and KJSEA, invigilators must be serving primary or junior school teachers with at least three years of teaching experience.

KJSEA supervisors must be serving secondary school teachers holding at least a Diploma in Education. Primary or junior school teachers with three or more years of experience are also eligible for the position.

KNEC’s staffing guidelines provide for one supervisor for every 200 candidates and one invigilator for every 20 candidates.

Where a centre hosts both KPSEA and KJSEA candidates, one supervisor may oversee the two assessments if their combined number is below 200.

To protect the integrity of the process, KNEC does not deploy supervisors or invigilators to schools where they have worked within the previous three years.