KNEC announces 2027 supplementary assessments for Diploma teacher trainees

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has scheduled supplementary teacher education assessments for January and February 2027, with registration opening on November 9, 2026.

The exercise will cover selected diploma programmes and candidates who meet the conditions set out in a circular issued on November 3.

Which teacher trainees qualify?

KNEC has listed three diploma programmes for candidates seeking to resit assessments in which they were previously referred:

• Diploma in Primary Education (DPTE)

• Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (DSTE)

• Diploma in Early Childhood Teacher Education (DECTE)

The council has restricted this resit category to trainees who were referred in previous assessments.

It is not a general examination opportunity for every student enrolled in a teacher training college.

There is also a separate arrangement for trainees who missed their July 2026 Year One and Year Two College-Based Assessments (CLBAs).

Those candidates will be allowed to undertake the outstanding assessments during the supplementary window.

The affected programmes in this category are the Diploma in Secondary Teacher Education (DSTE) and the Diploma in Teacher Education for Pre-Primary and Primary (DTE PP&P).

Trainees registered for the exercise will be required to sit both the relevant College-Based Assessments and Summative Assessments, according to the timetable for their programme.

Registration opens on November 9

The registration window will run from November 9 to December 15, 2026.

KNEC has instructed principals of diploma teacher training colleges to register the eligible trainees.

Candidates should therefore contact their college administration to confirm their eligibility and have their details submitted during the registration period.

The council will issue individual assessment timetables after registration closes.

Trainees should not assume that all programmes will sit their papers on the same dates or follow an identical timetable.

The supplementary assessments will run from January 18 to February 12, 2027.

How much will the assessments cost?

KNEC has set the supplementary assessment fee at Sh7,200 per trainee, payable in one instalment.

Candidates who have been referred in the practicum component will pay an additional Sh5,000 for the practicum assessment.

The payment process will be handled through eCitizen.

After registering the trainees, college principals are expected to generate the relevant assessment invoices.

The trainees then use the payment link provided through the registration platform.

Candidates should confirm the amount applicable to their individual assessment requirements with their college before making payment.

Colleges must meet assessment centre requirements

KNEC has also issued instructions on how colleges should organise candidates for the supplementary assessments.

Colleges with fewer than five teacher trainees will not be permitted to operate as independent assessment centres.

They must identify KNEC-approved centres with more than 10 trainees and arrange registration through those institutions.

Assessment centres with fewer than 10 trainees will also be hosted by approved colleges with more than 10 candidates during the exercise.

This means some trainees may have to sit their assessments at a different institution rather than their own college.

Documents and final deadline

After registration, college principals must submit signed nominal rolls bearing the signatures of the trainees and the principal.

They must also provide relevant medical reports for trainees living with disabilities, together with evidence of assessment fee payment and the corresponding invoices.

The documents should reach KNEC's Teacher Education Assessments Management Services Department at New Mitihani House, South C, by December 30, 2026.

The supplementary exercise follows a formal request by the Kenya Teachers Colleges Principals Association, which sought another opportunity for referred trainees to satisfy assessment requirements ahead of the March 2027 graduation.

For eligible candidates, the immediate step is to establish their status with their college and ensure they are registered before December 15.

Missing the registration window could mean losing the opportunity to complete the outstanding assessments in this January/February sitting.