Kenya KCSE 2026: seated 15 minutes early, blue or black ink; main papers 2–20 November

Candidates sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) must be searched outside the examination room and seated at least 15 minutes before each paper, which starts at 8am or 2pm, under the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) timetable and guidelines for 2026. The main written papers run from Monday 2 November to Friday 20 November.

The Kenyan news site Pulse Kenya published the timetable and guidelines on 15 October 2026, and the news site Kenyans.co.ke reported the candidate instructions on 18 October.

KNEC registered 1,048,355 KCSE candidates, the first time the entry has passed one million, Capital FM reported on 6 October. The council split the papers by size of entry: those with low candidature are written from 19 to 30 October, those with large candidature from 2 to 20 November.

Oral and practical assessments began on Monday 19 October. French and German orals, Kenyan Sign Language practical signing and the Music practical run from 19 to 23 October, and the Arabic oral from 19 to 26 October. The Home Science (Foods and Nutrition) planning session is on Wednesday 21 October and the practical from 26 to 28 October.

The written papers, from the timetable as Pulse Kenya published it, are below. Morning papers start at 8am and afternoon papers at 2pm.

P stands for paper. CRE, IRE and HRE are Christian, Islamic and Hindu Religious Education.

The timetable gives candidates with disabilities longer durations in selected papers; for example, English Paper 1 runs two hours, or two hours and 30 minutes for hearing-impaired candidates. No extra time is given beyond the set duration.

A candidate who arrives late must give a satisfactory reason to the supervisor. “Only in exceptional circumstances will a paper be given to any candidate who is more than half an hour late,” the instructions say, as quoted by Kenyans.co.ke.

Answers must be written in blue or black ink, and erasable pens are prohibited. Pencils are allowed only for diagrams. Candidates write their name and index number on the question paper and the answer script, sign the answer booklet and write the examination date on it. They write on both sides of the booklet but not in the margins, do not copy the questions, and leave a blank line after each answer.

Mobile phones and other electronic communication devices, wristwatches, programmable calculators, books, notes and other unauthorised papers are banned. Handbags, briefcases and backpacks are strictly forbidden at examination centres.

Calculators must be non-programmable and have no cover. They are allowed only in Mathematics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, Agriculture, Woodwork, Metalwork, Building Construction, Power Mechanics, Electricity, Drawing and Design, Aviation Technology, Computer Studies and Business Studies. Only KNEC-printed mathematical tables without handwritten notes may be used.

A candidate may not leave early without the supervisor's permission, and no one who leaves may take a question paper or answer booklet out of the room.

The last paper is Physics Paper 3 (Practical) on Friday 20 November, from 8am.