KNEC plans to pilot electronic assessments in senior schools next year, aiming to modernise exams and improve efficiency, equity and data use.

KNEC CEO David Njengere at the 3rd Education Assessment Symposium 2026, May 4, 2026.. [Mike Kihaki, Standard] The Kenya National Examinations Council is preparing to roll out electronic assessments in senior schools beginning next year in what could mark one of the biggest transformations of Kenya’s examination system since the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).. The shift is part of broader government reforms aimed at integrating technology into teaching, learning and assessment while preparing

learners for an increasingly digital global economy.. Knec Chief Executive Officer David Njengere said the council has already made significant progress through the successful implementation of e-assessment in teacher training colleges, providing critical lessons ahead of the planned rollout to senior schools.. “Knec has successfully rolled out e-assessment in all Teacher Training Colleges’ examinations.. Over 37,000 trainees have graduated over the last three years,” said Njengere.. Njengere said Knec will begin piloting digital assessment in

senior schools next year to determine its effectiveness and identify areas requiring improvement before nationwide implementation.. “This strategy not only ensures all teachers are highly proficient in digital literacy but also provides an opportunity to generate personalised data that is useful in identifying areas of strengths and weaknesses at the trainee, college and national levels,” he added.. The transition is anchored on several government policy documents, including the ICT in Education and Training Policy of

2021 and the National Education Sector Strategic Plan (NESSP 2023), both of which prioritise technology integration across learning institutions.. Knec operationalised the reforms through the Computer-Based Testing Framework for National Examinations, launched in 2023.. The framework outlines how examination development, administration, marking and reporting will gradually shift from paper-based systems to digital platforms.. He further said the reforms are necessary because the traditional examination model is becoming expensive, slow and increasingly disconnected from the skills

required in modern workplaces.. According to discussions during the 3rd Annual Educational Assessment Symposium organised by the council, many learners still encounter digital examination systems for the first time during national assessments because institutions continue relying heavily on paper-based tests.. Experts warned that this unfamiliarity affects performance because students are forced to split their concentration between answering examination questions and learning how to navigate digital platforms.. The symposium noted that such gaps create inequalities between

learners exposed to technology and those from institutions with limited digital infrastructure.. “Digital assessment is not merely a change in delivery mode; it is intended to develop a distinct set of skills including digital literacy, adaptability and the ability to interact with technology-mediated problem-solving environments,” the symposium report stated.. Dr Njengere believe introducing e-assessment earlier in senior school will help learners become comfortable with digital systems long before sitting national examinations.He also argues that the

move will improve efficiency in examination administration while lowering operational costs associated with printing, transporting and storing examination materials.. According to him, digital assessment has already enabled Knec to introduce non-residential marking for teacher education examinations, reducing costs linked to accommodation and transport of examiners to centralised marking centres.. The system is also expected to speed up the release of examination results through automated marking of objective questions and electronic aggregation of scores.. Dr Njengere

say the reforms are also intended to improve evidence-based decision-making in schools and colleges.. Digital platforms can generate real-time analytics showing learner participation, competency gaps, question difficulty indexes and performance trends across institutions.He further said such data will help teachers intervene early before learners fall behind, while allowing policymakers to identify weaknesses in curriculum implementation.. The technology is also expected to support personalised learning where assessment systems identify specific areas where learners struggle instead of

relying on broad, whole-class remediation.. At the institutional level, e-portfolio systems are expected to replace fragmented paper records by storing lesson plans, practicum reports, school-based assessments and competency profiles in a single digital platform.. Knec Assistant Director in the ICT Directorate, Catherine Masila, said digital assessment is rapidly becoming a global standard in education systems.. “Digital assessment is the new global currency of learning.. Nations that generate real-time, machine-readable competency data make faster, smarter policy

decisions than those still counting paper marks months later,” said Masila.. She added that digital systems are capable of improving inclusion and equity because adaptive assessment technologies can accommodate learners with special needs through voice, audio and visual formats.. “Adaptive testing, multimodal formats and offline-capable platforms reach learners that traditional pen-and-paper systems systematically exclude,” she said.. Masila noted that modern employers increasingly require verifiable digital competency records rather than traditional aggregate scores.. “Employability demands digital

evidence.. Global employers and dual certification frameworks require verifiable, portable competency records, not aggregate scores on a faded certificate,” she added.. She added that CBE, AI, global employability, and 4IR competencies — none of these can be measured by a paper exam marked six months after the lesson.. Digital assessment is not the future.. It is the requirement.. At Meru Teachers Training College, the transition to digital assessment is already showing positive results.. The institution’s

Principal, Rosemary Mbaabu, said the college successfully converted internal assessments into digital formats using repurposed government servers supplied through the Kenya Primary Education Equity in Learning programme.. She added that the shift has significantly improved digital literacy among both tutors and trainees while helping the college prepare future teachers for technology-enabled classrooms.. “We realised that digital readiness is no longer optional for institutions training teachers.. Our trainees must leave college confident in using digital platforms

because that is the direction education is taking globally,” said Mbaabu.. She noted that lecturers are now able to track learner progress more efficiently while students have become more comfortable interacting with digital systems.However, the transition has also exposed major challenges facing institutions across the country.. To reduce cheating risks, institutions are adopting restricted local networks, offline servers, lockdown browsers and controlled access systems that block artificial intelligence tools and external websites during examinations.. Schools

and colleges have reported inadequate ICT infrastructure, unreliable internet connectivity, slow typing skills among learners and limited technical expertise among teachers as some of the biggest barriers to implementation.. There are also concerns over cybersecurity, data protection and academic integrity during online examinations.. The council says the reforms are about building a future-ready education system capable of producing digitally competent graduates equipped for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.. Knec revealed that its e-assessment ecosystem has grown

rapidly from a small pilot involving only 45 candidates in 2021 to over 30,000 candidates across more than 100 learning areas by 2025 and over 50,000 candidates this year.. National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa urged schools to urgently invest in ICT infrastructure, train teachers and expose learners to regular digital assessments if the country is to achieve a smooth transition.. “If successfully implemented, the reforms could fundamentally transform Kenya’s examination system by improving efficiency,

reducing costs, strengthening transparency and preparing learners for an increasingly digital future,” he said.

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