Kenya to overhaul national exams, new proposal suggests. The draft law seen by kalahari.co.ke proposes the replacement of Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) with Kenya National Education Assessments Council (KNEAC)* which will oversee both traditional and modern modes of assessment under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
This is part of broader education sector reforms and will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), automated marking systems and digital infrastructure in exam administration and evaluation processes.
Highlights:
- KNEC to be scrapped and replaced by KNEAC to reflect changing assessment practices.
- AI, e-marking, OMR and Automark to be used in marking.
- KNEAC to oversee all assessments under CBC and traditional curricula.
- Learners’ ICT infrastructure requirements to be standardised in schools.
- New processes for verifying results and replacing lost certificates introduced.
- Public participation ongoing for the proposed law.
From KNEC to KNEAC: A New Era of Education Assessment
According to the draft Kenya National Education Assessments Council Act, KNEAC will take over KNEC’s mandate but with a wider scope. It will manage formative and summative assessments, implement modern marking technologies and provide regulatory oversight for national exams in line with CBC goals.
The transitional clause provides that the current Council will remain operational for two months from the date the new law comes into effect, pending appointment of KNEAC board members.
AI and Automation in Exam Marking
The proposed law outlines a hybrid approach to exam evaluation:
- Pen and paper methods
- Electronic mark capturing and e-marking
- Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)
- Automated Marking (Automark)
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) scoring
- Other approved technologies
This will improve efficiency, reduce human error and speed up results release. These will particularly benefit high volume assessments like KCPE and KCSE. KNEAC will also develop marking guidelines and tools for all exam formats including oral, practical, project based and aural assessments in line with CBC learner centered model.
Structure and Composition of KNEAC
Under the proposed law, KNEAC will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President and a council comprising:
- Principal Secretaries from the Ministry of Education and National Treasury
- CEO of the Commission for University Education
- Director of the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)
- Secretary of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
- Appointees representing persons with disabilities, teacher training institutions and the private education sector
The Council’s **CEO will be the secretary and implement the decisions of the Council.
New Categories of Examiners and Clear Roles
KNEAC will appoint examiners under new designations:
- Chief Examiners
- Senior Examiners
- Team Leaders
- Deputy Chief Examiners
- General Examiners
- Assistant Chief Examiners (for split centre assessments)
All roles will be governed by a structured framework, and their duties will be reviewed regularly to ensure reliability, fairness and best practice in assessment.
Digital-First Approach to Confirming and Replacing Results
The draft also proposes changes to how results are confirmed or certificates replaced:
- Applications will be online with strict documentation requirements.
- Confirmations will be sent within 10 days and only to the institution.
- Lost certificate replacements will require police abstracts, institution recommendation letters, photos and ID documents.
- Replacement certificates will be collected in person after 15 days if all conditions are met.
Schools to Meet ICT Infrastructure Requirements
To support digital assessments, schools and exam centres will be required to:
- Have computers with sufficient processing power, scanners and printers
- Install licensed software and security tools
- Have stable internet
- Set up a dedicated offline server to manage local e-assessment processing and data storage
These infrastructure requirements are to ensure exam integrity, data confidentiality and system resilience.
Looking Ahead
The introduction of KNEAC and AI-based assessment is a total overhaul of the education system. While AI in marking raises valid questions on transparency, bias and oversight, it’s a step in the right direction in line with global education trends.
The public has been invited to give feedback as the bill goes through public participation, with stakeholders from education, technology and policy sectors expected to comment.
