How to access, download, & verify your KCSE certificate online, how much it costs

Accessing official academic records in Kenya has taken a major digital step forward.

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has introduced an online platform that allows candidates to access, download, and verify their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates from anywhere.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to navigate the KNEC e-certificate system.

To begin, visit knec.ac.ke and click on the e-certificate tab, or navigate directly to [https://ecertificate.knec.ac.ke](https://ecertificate.knec.ac.ke).

• Click "Sign Up/Register" and "Choose your account type as Applicant (Student/Alumni)."

• Enter your full name and email address, then click "Send OTP" to receive a 6-digit verification code via email. Note that "OTP expires after 10 minutes."

• Existing users can simply click "Login" on the homepage and request an OTP to access their dashboard.

• Once logged in, update your profile details, including your citizenship, full name, date of birth, phone number, and ID number where applicable.

Once your profile is set up, generating your document is straightforward:

• Navigate to your dashboard and click "Generate E-Certificate".

• Enter your Index Number, select the exam type (KCSE), and select your exam year (available for candidate records from "1989 to present").

• The portal performs an automatic verification of your details.

• Once verified, click "Proceed to Pay". You will receive an M-Pesa STK push on your registered phone number to enter your PIN. Alternatively, click "Open Payment Page to pay via the browser", the set fee is "Ksh 1,500 per e-certificate."

• When payment is confirmed, click "Download Certificate" to open and save your certificate as a PDF in a new browser tab.

If an employer or institution requires official verification, you can issue a verification report directly through the platform:

• Enter your index number, exam type, and exam year, then upload your downloaded e-certificate PDF.

• Select the recipient from the dropdown menu, or manually enter custom institution details along with preferred delivery methods.

• Accept the consent declaration and make the required payment.

• The system will generate the official verification report and deliver it to the recipient, sending a confirmation email to your address once complete.