Schools across the country have been given new timelines to register candidates who will sit national exams in 2026.
According to a Friday announcement from the Ministry of Education, registration for KPSEA will begin on Monday, February 16, and will be ongoing until March 16. On the same day, registration will begin for KCSE and will be ongoing until March 31. KJSEA registration will begin a bit later, from March 2, and will be ongoing until March 31.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba was present at the launch of the registration season at KNEC’s South C office in Nairobi. He emphasized the importance of meticulousness to avoid some common mistakes parents have had to endure in previous years. It was common in previous years for parents to wake up to a surprise: their child was not registered to take their national exams.
KNEC’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Njengere said that the council has already started the exam mode. This includes preparing online registration portals, preparing timetables, and sending out circulars to schools to guide them on the process.
Njengere also said that the council has been reviewing past exams to see what worked and what didn’t, and developing a system to allow Grade 10 students to register for the exams as the Competency-Based Curriculum continues to roll out.
To keep parents informed, KNEC will launch an SMS service in April. This will enable parents to check whether their children are candidates or not. This service will be available by the time of the April holiday to give parents time to make inquiries with the schools.
Ogamba warned head teachers that submitting false information will result in them facing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
For candidates, especially those in Class Eight, Grade Nine, and Form Four, this announcement marks the official countdown to the 2026 exams.
