The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has officially launched the recruitment of assessors for the oral and practical components of the 2026 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
KNEC is inviting qualified secondary school teachers and college tutors to apply for the exercise. In a notice issued on Tuesday, June 30, the examinations council announced that eligible professionals have until July 15, 2026, to submit their applications through the KNEC examiners’ portal.
The recruitment forms part of KNEC’s preparations for the administration and marking of the 2026 KCSE examinations, with the council seeking experienced educators who will be responsible for assessing practical and oral examination papers across various subjects.
According to KNEC, successful applicants will undergo mandatory on-the-job training during the assessment process to ensure they are fully conversant with the council’s marking procedures, assessment standards and quality assurance guidelines.
“The professionals identified will be trained on-the-job during assessment of the 2026 KCSE examination papers,” KNEC said in the recruitment notice.
An official circular shows that the recruitment targets assessors in several specialised subjects that require practical or oral evaluation. These include Power Mechanics Practical, Electricity Practical and Aviation Technology Practical, alongside oral examinations in French, German, Arabic and Music.
The council explained that only practising secondary school teachers and college tutors who teach the relevant subjects will be considered for appointment. In addition, applicants must have accumulated at least three years of teaching experience in their respective fields.
KNEC further stated that candidates must possess a minimum qualification of a diploma in education or in the relevant area of specialisation.
For those seeking appointment as Aviation Technology assessors, the council requires applicants to hold a diploma in Aeronautical Engineering in addition to meeting the other eligibility requirements.
The examinations body also outlined several conditions that applicants must satisfy before they can be considered for recruitment.
Besides meeting the academic and professional qualifications, candidates must either be registered by or employed under the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) or another recognised professional body.
Applicants are also expected to obtain a recommendation from the head of their institution or employer as confirmation of their suitability for the role. Furthermore, KNEC said only candidates aged 50 years and below will be eligible for appointment.
The council added that applicants should have a clean professional record and must not be serving any form of interdiction or be facing disciplinary proceedings at the time of application.
Teachers and tutors interested in the positions have been directed to submit their applications through the KNEC examiners’ portal. Existing users can log in using their Contracted Professionals (CP2) accounts, while new applicants will first be required to create an account before accessing the vacancies section of the portal.
KNEC clarified that teachers who are already listed in its database of assessors do not need to submit fresh applications, as they remain eligible for consideration under the existing register.
The latest recruitment comes as KNEC continues preparations for next year’s national examinations amid growing discontent among teachers over delayed payment of allowances for work carried out during the 2025 KCSE examination period.
Thousands of teachers who participated in invigilation, supervision and marking of the 2025 national examinations are still waiting to receive their outstanding payments despite assurances from the government that the issue would be resolved.
The delays have persisted even after the National Treasury released KSh1.5 billion to facilitate the settlement of pending arrears, raising concerns among teachers and their unions about the pace of the payment process.
The prolonged wait has sparked criticism from education stakeholders, with many teachers expressing frustration over the delayed compensation for services already rendered during last year’s examinations.
In May, the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) escalated the dispute by directing its members to boycott invigilation, supervision and marking of the 2026 national examinations unless all outstanding arrears are paid in full.
The union argued that teachers should not be expected to undertake another examination cycle while payments for work completed during the previous year’s examinations remain unsettled.
The recruitment of assessors, therefore, comes at a time when KNEC is not only preparing to administer the 2026 KCSE examinations but is also facing pressure to address concerns raised by teachers over delayed remuneration, an issue that could affect participation in next year’s examination process if left unresolved.