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The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has announced new guidelines for nominating centre managers, supervisors, and invigilators for the 2025 national examinations and assessments, including the KCSE, KJSEA, KPLEA, KPSEA, and KILEA.
In a circular dated September 2, TSC acting CEO Evaleen Mitei outlined the procedures for sub-county directors to follow, aiming to ensure a smooth and successful examination administration process.
The circular states that the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) requires the details of all Heads of Institutions and teachers who will be appointed to manage the exams.
"In this regard, you are requested to identify, vet and nominate Centre Managers, Supervisors, and Invigilators who will be engaged in the administration of these examinations and Assessments," the directive reads.
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An invigilator invigilating KCSE exams
Nominated personnel must be registered in the KNEC's CP2 system by September 26, 2025. The TSC emphasised several key instructions for the recruitment and deployment process.
Key Requirements and Integrity Measures
All deployed personnel must be qualified teachers registered and employed by the TSC, known for their high integrity.
To prevent conflicts of interest, the commission has implemented strict rules. Supervisors and invigilators will not be assigned to a school where they have worked in the last three years, a rule enforced by the CP2 system.
Furthermore, staff must not be deployed to centres where they have a vested interest. They will be required to sign a declaration form, which will be distributed by KNEC to sub-county directors and then to centre managers.
Any supervisor or invigilator found to have a conflict of interest will be redeployed.
Centre managers are responsible for verifying the details of supervisors and invigilators assigned to their centres and must take daily online attendance through the CP2 system, starting from the rehearsal day.
These attendance records will be submitted to KNEC after the examination period.
Staffing Ratios and Specific Roles
The guidelines specify staffing ratios to ensure adequate oversight. One supervisor will be deployed for every 200 candidates, and one invigilator for every 20 candidates.
However, no supervisors will be assigned to hosted centres. Centres with both KJSEA and KPSEA candidates will receive separate supervisors if each assessment has at least 30 candidates.
For the KILEA and KPLEA assessments, teachers will invigilate their own learners, with one invigilator for every ten students. These centres will not have supervisors or centre managers.
A teacher invigilating an exam
Special consideration is given to centres with visually impaired candidates, where at least one invigilator must be proficient in braille.
Qualifications for Examination Staff
The TSC has set specific qualification criteria for each role:
KCSE Supervisors: Must be serving secondary school teachers with at least a Diploma in Education. Senior teachers or Heads of Departments are preferred.
KCSE Invigilators: Must be serving primary school teachers with a minimum of three years of teaching experience.
KJSEA Supervisors: Can be secondary, primary, or junior school teachers with a minimum of three years' experience and prior experience supervising national exams.
KPSEA Supervisors: Must be serving primary school teachers with at least three years of experience and a history of invigilating national exams.
To ensure fresh oversight, KCSE supervisors will be rotated weekly, with outgoing staff required to provide a handover brief for their replacements.
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Students sitting for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE)
Nomination Process and System
All nominations for the 2025 contracted professionals will be managed through the TSC's Teacher Management System (TMS).
Heads of Institutions are responsible for nominating eligible teachers from their schools via the portal. Manual applications will not be accepted.
The TSC will conduct a thorough vetting process for all nominees to ensure compliance and uphold the integrity of the national examinations.
The new digital-first approach aims to create a more efficient, transparent, and fair selection process, reinforcing the TSC's commitment to academic excellence in Kenya's education system.