The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has issued a strong warning to candidates and schools ahead of the 2026 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA).
The council has reminded schools, teachers and candidates that any form of cheating, dishonesty or other assessment irregularities could lead to serious consequences.
According to KNEC regulations, an entire assessment at a centre may be cancelled if the council finds that misconduct or irregularities were widespread. This means that even candidates who did nothing wrong could lose their assessment results if serious problems affect the whole centre.
KNEC may also cancel one or more papers or the results of all candidates at an affected centre, depending on the situation.
Individual candidates are also expected to follow the rules carefully. A candidate found guilty of misconduct or dishonesty may be removed from the assessment and prevented from taking part in the remaining papers.
The council has also listed double registration as an irregularity that can result in disqualification.
Another important rule concerns calculators. KNEC has reminded candidates that calculators are not allowed in any KPSEA paper, including Mathematics.
Schools and assessment officials have therefore been urged to make sure that all candidates understand the rules before the assessment begins.
KNEC has also warned against the illegal sharing of assessment materials. Anyone who gains access to KPSEA materials and knowingly shares them with an unauthorised person could face legal action. Such an offence may attract a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a fine of up to Ksh2 million, or both.
The council further warned that anyone who deliberately damages assessment materials could face a prison term of up to two years, a fine of up to Ksh5 million, or both.
The 2026 KPSEA is scheduled to take place from October 26 to October 29.
With the assessment date approaching, KNEC is urging candidates to concentrate on their preparation and avoid anything that could put their results at risk.
Schools and teachers have an important role to play in ensuring that the assessment is conducted fairly and according to the set rules.