- KNEC published the first-week timetable for the 2026 KCSE examinations, covering oral and practical papers
- French, German, Kenyan Sign Language and Music practical papers are among those scheduled in the opening week
- Schools held rehearsals on October 16 after a standoff between KUPPET and KNEC over unpaid dues was resolved
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has published the timetable for the opening week of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, confirming the national tests get underway on Monday, October 19.
Source: Facebook
KNEC shared the schedule across its official social media accounts, detailing the oral and practical papers that candidates will sit during the first week.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
"The 2026 KCSE examination begins! Here are this week's timetables. Best wishes to all the candidates," the council said in its announcement.
First-Week Examination Schedule
French Oral (501/3), German Oral (502/3), Kenyan Sign Language Practical (504/3) and Music Practical (511/1) are all slated to run from October 19 to October 23, with each candidate allocated 15 minutes per paper. Arabic Oral (503/3) will extend further, running from October 19 through to Monday, October 26, also at 15 minutes per candidate.
On Wednesday, October 21, candidates registered for Home Science (Foods and Nutrition) will complete the Practical Planning Session (441/3). The standard paper and large-print version are each allocated 30 minutes, while candidates using Braille examination papers will have one hour.
The written examinations are scheduled to begin in late October or early November, concluding on Friday, November 20, with Physics Paper 3.
KUPPET Standoff Resolved Before Exams Begin
Schools conducted preparation rehearsals on Friday, October 16, ahead of the opening day. Those preparations were briefly at risk after the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) directed its members to boycott supervision and marking duties over unpaid dues owed by KNEC. The dispute was subsequently resolved, allowing the examination process to proceed without disruption.
Candidates sitting the examinations are required to arrive at their centres and be searched and seated at least 15 minutes before each paper begins. Anyone arriving more than 30 minutes after the start of an examination will generally be barred from sitting that paper, except in exceptional circumstances sanctioned by the relevant authorities.
Morning sessions commence at 8am and afternoon sessions at 2pm. Mobile phones, wristwatches, electronic communication devices and programmable calculators are banned from examination rooms. All written answers must be in blue or black ink, with pencils permitted only for diagrams.
Source: TUKO.co.ke