What is K.C.S.E and K.C.P.E Exam?

KCSE stands for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, which is taken at the completion of Secondary Education. It’s a very important exam because it’s an entrance requirement for all Kenyan Universities or Colleges. This exam is taken by all Form 4 students nationwide and the grade attained determines your qualification to join an institution of higher learning.

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) is a certificate awarded to students after completing the approved eight-year course in primary education in Kenya. The examination is an entrance requirement for Secondary Education. This exam is taken by all class 8 students nationwide and the overall grade attained determines your qualification to join High School.

Both examinations are supervised by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), an examining body in Kenya under the Ministry of Education. The same body also conducts and regulates the Kenya Certificate of Secondary and Primary Education (KCSE, KCPE), a certificate awarded to students after completing secondary and primary education respectively.

We get a lot of questions on our school structure from our international friends. We thought it would be helpful to share this information for better understanding. Primary School in Kenya is structured differently from High school. Primary school is divided into 3 categories depending on the age and ability of the child as shown below.

Pre-school Category

Play Group- 3-year-olds

Pre-primary 1- 4-year-olds

Pre-primary 2- 5-year-olds

Lower Primary Category

Class 1- 6 to 7 years

Class 2- 7 to 8 years

Class 3- 8 to 9 years

Upper Primary Category

Class 4- 9 to 10 years

Class 5- 10 to 11years

Class 6- 11 to 12 years