Nairobi — The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination timetable, scheduling the exams from October 21 to November 21.
Candidates will begin with French, Sign Language, and German on the first day, followed by practical examinations from October 22 to October 31 in subjects such as Home Science, Art and Design, Woodwork, and Metalwork.
Written exams will commence on November 3, starting with English and Chemistry, with a four-hour break between the two papers.
On November 4, students will take Mathematics, a mandatory subject, followed by English Literature later in the day.
On November 5, candidates will sit for Chemistry Paper 2 in the morning and the English composition (essay writing) paper in the afternoon.
They will then take Kiswahili Lugha (language) on November 6 in the morning, followed by Kiswahili Fasihi (literature) in the afternoon.
The second week of exams will begin on November 11 with Christian Religious Education (CRE) in the morning and Biology Paper 1 in the afternoon.
On November 13, students will sit for Biology Paper 2 in the morning and History and Government in the afternoon.
The week will conclude with Biology practicals, where candidates will have one hour and 45 minutes to complete the test.
In the final week, students will take Geography Paper 1 in the morning and Physics Paper 1 in the afternoon, followed by Business Studies Paper 1 and Agriculture Paper 1 the next day.
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On November 20, they will sit for Business Studies Paper 2 and Agriculture Paper 2.
The KCSE exams will conclude on November 21 with Physics Paper 3, a practical exam.
KNEC has directed all candidates and schools to strictly adhere to the timetable and prepare thoroughly. Teachers must ensure students understand the examination guidelines to avoid irregularities and penalties for malpractice.
Additionally, Centre Managers must ensure that supervisors and invigilators assigned to their centers have not served in the same institution for three consecutive years.
"Supervisors must verify that candidates have signed their answer scripts and the script control form before collecting them for packing. They must also count the scripts to ensure they match the number of present candidates," the guidelines state.
KNEC has warned that anyone found guilty of examination irregularities will face strict penalties as outlined in the KNEC Act No. 29 of 2012 (Sections 27 to 40).
The Council has urged schools, teachers, and students to comply with these regulations to maintain fairness and credibility in the national examinations.
