Of the 25,098 candidates who sat the 2026 Diploma in Primary Teacher Education (DPTE) examination, 9,792 (39.02%) were referred. KNEC has said supplementary examinations will be administered in January 2027, and colleges have begun issuing resit registration notices. If you were referred, your college is your first point of contact for the timetable and fees.
The 2026 DPTE results
- Mathematics caused the most referrals, with 6,815 candidates failing it.
- Kiswahili followed with 2,988 failures.
- English recorded 1,514 failures.
KNEC Chief Executive Officer Dr David Njengere linked the results to lowered entry grades following the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform. He also pointed to rising candidate numbers, limited capacity at some colleges, staff and infrastructure shortages, and difficulties with school-based assessment.
Retake timetable
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supplementary examinations | January 2027, as announced by KNEC’s CEO |
| Registration | Through your teacher training college |
| Where to confirm your sitting | Your college administration |
Resit fees
Colleges set their own fees. Kwale TTC’s notice of 22 October is one example. It charges KSh 1,000 per referred subject plus a KSh 3,700 administration fee, payable through the college’s official Paybill. Expect other colleges to differ.
What to do now
- Confirm exactly which subjects you were referred in.
- Ask your college for the fee, payment channel and registration deadline.
- Pay only through the college’s official channel and keep the receipt.
- Revise Mathematics first, since it caused the most failures.
- If you believe technical problems affected your results, put it in writing through your college and still register for the resit. Some candidates have raised concerns about the Safe Exam Browser’s login limits on the online assessment.
How the first DTE PP&P exams are run
The Diploma in Teacher Education, Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP&P) was created by a Ministry of Education circular dated 19 January 2026. It merged the early childhood and primary teacher diplomas and trains one teacher for PP1 to Grade 6. A court has halted the scrapping of the standalone early childhood diploma, so the legal position may still develop.
Under KNEC’s timetable for the programme:
- Papers run from 27 October to 5 November 2026, after a rehearsal on 26 October.
- Assessment is online through the TECBA portal, with each candidate using their assessment number and a provided password.
- Most days have two sittings: 8:00 to 11:00 am and 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
- The timetable lists 23 units, including a seven-month practicum from January to July 2027.
- Candidates should be seated 30 minutes before each paper, with a charged device and stable internet.
An irregularity in one paper cancels the candidate’s results for the whole subject. Under the KNEC Act, leaking exam material carries up to ten years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to KSh 2 million.
Read Also: KCSE 2026 Timetable: What Candidates Sit in the First Week of Theory Papers
Frequently asked questions
Can I register for a retake privately?
Referred candidates register through their college. Ask your administration before paying anyone.
Is the DPTE still running?
Yes. The 2026 results cover its final cohorts, and the DTE PP&P is the merged replacement.