Only people on the centre manager’s approved weekly list may be inside a KCSE examination centre while papers are in progress, and each must show an original national ID card. KNEC’s 2026 briefing notes name who can be listed, and who cannot.
The rule was highlighted again in KNEC’s message of 1 November 2026, as the large-candidature papers began.
Who is authorised
According to KNEC’s 2026 briefing notes, authorised persons are limited to:
- The centre manager, who should be the principal or head of the institution
- One deputy principal, specifically the official deputy designated for the exercise
- Supervisor or supervisors
- Security officer or officers
- Invigilators
- A gatekeeper
- A reasonable number of cooks, depending on the number of candidates
- Laboratory assistants and science or technical teachers, only on the day before a practical and on the day of the practical
KNEC monitoring officers also have access to centres, and they may go straight to examination rooms without first reporting to the centre manager’s office. Officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) also monitor how security officers conduct themselves.
Who is not allowed inside
KNEC lists the following as unauthorised while exams are in progress:
- School directors
- Board of Management chairpersons and members
- Bursars and accounts clerks
- Secretaries
- Teachers who are not authorised for the exercise
- Groundsmen
This matters most for schools where the owner, board members or administrative staff are used to being on site. During exam hours, they must stay out.
What the weekly list must contain
The list is prepared by the centre manager each week. For each person, it must show:
- Name
- National ID number
- TSC number
- Telephone number
- Designation or role
The Sub-County Director of Education (SCDE) must endorse the list before the rehearsal day. Everyone on the list must carry their original national ID, as KNEC reminded centres on 1 November. A photocopy or a photo on a phone is not enough.
Supervisors, invigilators and centre managers must also print and carry their appointment letters each day, and wear their identification badges.
The visitors’ book and registers
KNEC specifies where records are kept. The monitoring register, the centre visitors’ book, the list of authorised persons and the school stamp must be placed at the desk where authorised personnel keep their phones, in the examination area. They must not be kept in the centre manager’s office.
At the end of the exam period, the monitoring registers are packed with the supervisors’ reports, the centre managers’ confidential reports and the nominal rolls.
Gates and phones
School gates must stay open from 6:00 am until the day’s exam materials leave the centre, and monitoring officers must be allowed in without hindrance. Phones belonging to everyone at the centre, including security officers, must be locked outside the exam room with the supervisor holding the key.
What centre managers should do this week
- Check the list against the groups above, and remove anyone not permitted.
- Make sure every person on the list has a name, ID number, TSC number, phone number and role recorded.
- Confirm the SCDE has endorsed the list.
- Brief staff and gate security that originals of national ID cards are required.
- Update the list for the new week if staff change.
Read Also: KCSE 2026 Week 3 Rules: What KNEC Has Told Exam Centres
Frequently asked questions
Can a deputy principal be at the centre?
Yes, but only one: the official deputy designated for the exercise.
Can the school owner or a BOM member visit during exams?
No. KNEC lists directors and Board of Management members as unauthorised.
Is a photocopy of a national ID acceptable?
No. KNEC requires the original.
Can any teacher enter the laboratory?
Only authorised science or technical teachers, on the day before and the day of a practical.