New era as KNEC launches digital exams

Teacher training colleges across the country have bid farewell to paper-based testing and manual exam administration following the adoption of fully digital examinations, marking a major shift in how future teachers are assessed.

Trainees in teacher training colleges now sit examinations entirely online, with completed scripts submitted electronically through the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) portal for marking.

The move effectively ends the era of printed question papers, handwritten scripts, and the physical transportation of examination materials in these institutions.

The transition is expected to significantly modernise assessment systems, enhance exam integrity, and reduce operational costs associated with manual examinations.

Education stakeholders say the success of the programme in teacher training colleges could also pave the way for the widespread use of electronic assessments in basic education under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

Under the new system, KNEC administers assessments through a secure offline digital platform that allows trainees to sit and complete examinations on computers without requiring internet connectivity.

The platform captures candidates’ responses electronically, replacing traditional paper scripts and manual marking processes.

According to Catherine Masila, Assistant Director at KNEC, the offline capability has addressed one of the biggest challenges facing digital transitions in education — unreliable internet access.

“The use of an offline system has been a game-changer, more so in areas experiencing connectivity challenges. The offline system has proven to be very effective and reliable,” Masila told The Standard.

The digital examination system applies to the Diploma in Primary Teacher Education, Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education, Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education, and teacher upgrade diploma programmes.

By eliminating printed examination papers, the system reduces risks associated with exam leakage, loss of scripts, and delays caused by the transportation of papers to and from examination centres.

Education officials say the digital transition is designed to strengthen examination credibility while improving efficiency in processing results.

The platform incorporates security features such as controlled access, encrypted storage of responses, and standardised marking systems that minimise human handling of scripts.

David Njengere, Chief Executive of KNEC, said the shift is part of broader efforts to modernise national assessment frameworks and align teacher training with the demands of competency-based learning.

He explained that the digital approach will improve the security and credibility of examinations by limiting opportunities for tampering with scripts, speeding up marking and the release of results through automated processing, and reducing the administrative workload associated with printing and distributing examination materials.

The system is also expected to lower logistical costs and enhance data management by enabling efficient tracking of learner performance.

Officials further note that the system promotes greater standardisation in assessment by reducing inconsistencies that may arise from manual marking and handling of scripts, while also strengthening transparency and accountability in the examination process.

The new testing model mirrors assessment approaches used under the Competency-Based Education system, where learner performance is measured through a combination of continuous assessment and final examinations.

Under this framework, a trainee’s final score is derived from school-based assessments, which account for 30 per cent of the final grade, and an end-of-course national examination administered by KNEC, which contributes the remaining 70 per cent.

Officials say exposing trainee teachers to digital assessments during training equips them with the technological skills and evaluation competencies required to implement competency-based learning effectively.

The approach is expected to improve teachers’ ability to integrate digital tools into teaching, conduct electronic assessments, and manage learner performance data in modern classrooms.

Njengere said the move ensures teachers graduate with the skills needed to operate in a technology-driven learning environment.

“We have teachers who are ready to handle CBE from the teacher colleges. The training and testing that have been adopted prepare them to handle learners in a 21st-century classroom,” he said.

The initiative could serve as a blueprint for the rollout of digital testing across the wider education system.

Currently, assessments at the basic education level remain largely paper-based despite increasing digitisation in other sectors.

Learners are required to undertake school-based assessments beginning in Grade 3, followed by national assessments in Grade 3, the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment in Grade 6, and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment in Grade 9.

These assessments are manually printed, distributed, and marked — a process that involves extensive logistics, high costs, and complex coordination.

If digital testing is extended to basic education, it could significantly reduce examination-related expenses, ease distribution challenges, and improve the speed and reliability of assessment processes. It could also enable real-time tracking of learner progress, enhance transparency, and support data-driven decision-making in education planning.

KNEC is already exploring plans to expand electronic assessments to basic education institutions, a move that would represent one of the most significant transformations in the examination system.

If fully implemented, learners under the competency-based framework could eventually sit national assessments online, signalling a major departure from traditional examination methods and accelerating the country’s shift towards technology-driven education.

Education experts say the success of the digital examination system in teacher training colleges will be closely monitored, as it may determine the pace and scale of nationwide adoption of e-assessment in schools.