Rose Wakio completed her KCSE exams in 2024 and became the leading student at her learning center, the Hassan Joho Girls Secondary School. However, the 19-year-old was disappointment with the B- grade that she had scored.
Rose had set her sights on a career in medicine, a dream broken when she failed to achieve the necessary cluster points for direct university placement for the course. She scored a C- in Mathematics, the subject that derailed her young ambition.
There is a glimmer of hope for the young student, as the Kenya National Examinations Council announced that they would allow for mid-year national exam retakes. She is among the students who see the retakes as a lifeline to a stellar career.
According to KNEC, there will be two criteria for retaking the national exams; those who wish to register for all seven or more subjects they sat in the past sitting and those who want to register for less than seven exams.
“I want to repeat to get a B+ and above to be eligible to study medicine. This is a second chance for me and many others like me,” she spoke to a Nation Africa correspondent at the TUM Career Guidance event.
“However, I am afraid of how I will be able to pay the Sh. 7,200 fee for the exam. I am a product of the Kisauni constituency bursary.”
KNEC opens registration for July KCSE exams, list of students not allowed to register
The registration period for the July series KCSE exams opened on January 27th and will close on February 21st. Those allowed to apply are repeating candidates who wish to improve their grades, candidates who missed the past sitting due to unavoidable circumstances and adults who have proof of primary education.
Candidates will also be required to pay a Sh. 7,200 registration fee through the eCitizen platform. Other information they will need to provide include KCPE certificates, KCSE results slip, ID documents and a passport-sized photograph.
“There will be no provision for late registration and all candidates must adhere to the set deadlines,” KNEC wrote in their circular.
