The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) issued a stern warning to students, teachers, and parents regarding a increase of counterfeit examination papers circulating on social media platforms. The alert comes just weeks before the key Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Junior Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) national exams, both slated for October 2025.
In a statement released on Friday, September 5, KNEC emphatically stated, “Please take note that these question papers doing the rounds on social media are not from KNEC. Do NOT be deceived! Stay alert!”. This urgent advisory aims to counter the deceptive practices of individuals distributing fake papers, which falsely claim to originate from the examination body. Among the fraudulent documents identified are purported KJSEA English, Mathematics (Grade 9 KJSEA-2025), Christian Religious Education (Code 908)-2025, and Kiswahili (Msimbo 902)-2025 papers.
The warning is particularly critical as KNEC prepares to administer the KJSEA to Grade 9 students, marking the final assessment of the junior school cycle. The council reiterated that all authentic information regarding examinations, including sample papers and timetables, is exclusively available on its official website.
“In accordance with the prescribed standards and best practice in educational assessment, KNEC uploaded sample papers for the inaugural Kenya Junior Secondary Assessment (KJSEA) on January 20, 2025,” the statement clarified. The sample papers are designed to familiarize candidates with the correct format for the upcoming October assessments.
Furthermore, KNEC has announced significant changes to the answer sheet format for both KPSEA and KJSEA exams starting in 2025. Candidates will now be required to shade their responses on Optical Mark Reader (OMR) answer sheets, a departure from the previous method of drawing lines. This procedural change indicates the importance of relying solely on official KNEC guidelines.
