KNEC Launches Exam Item Writing Training For Senior School And TVET Teachers

The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is inviting teachers from senior secondary schools and vocational institutions to apply for specialised training in examination item writing, as the country pushes forward with its shift to competency-based assessment.

In a notice issued on Tuesday, September 15, KNEC said the online training will run for close to three weeks, from October 12 to October 30, 2026, and will focus on helping teachers craft quality test items suited to the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) framework.

KNEC said the initiative is meant to sharpen teachers’ ability to design assessment tools that genuinely capture what learners can do, not just what they can recall. Those who go through the programme will subsequently be tapped for assessment-related work with the council.

“KNEC is mandated to set and maintain national examination and assessment standards at school, post-school and teacher education levels, and is committed to strengthening teachers’ capacity in classroom and national assessment,” the council said in its statement.

It added: “To uphold these standards and support effective evaluation of learner competencies, KNEC invites qualified teachers teaching at Senior School and Vocational Level to apply for an online Training in Item Writing.”

The push comes as Kenya’s education system continues moving away from assessments that simply test recall, toward one that also looks at how well learners can apply what they’ve learned in practical, real-world ways.

Under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) model, assessment isn’t limited to written exams; it also takes into account learners’ skills, attitudes, and values, measured through a mix of approaches.

KNEC noted that this makes the training especially relevant for teachers handling Senior School and vocational-level learners, since these are the levels where competency-based assessment is currently being rolled out. Teachers who take part will come away better equipped to develop, refine and evaluate assessment items that meet CBA standards.

Minimum Requirements

Not just anyone can sign up. KNEC has set out fairly strict eligibility criteria for interested teachers:

1. Applicants must have a clean professional record and demonstrated integrity.
2. They need to be specialists or experts in the specific subject or learning area they want to train in, and must currently be teaching that subject, either at Senior School or under the Stage-Based Curriculum’s Vocational Level.
3. Relevant academic and professional qualifications are required, along with a solid grasp of the curriculum designs for their area of specialisation.
4. A minimum of one year’s teaching experience is required.
5. Applicants must be registered with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and their application must be formally endorsed by their head of institution.

Those interested have until September 30, 2026 to submit their applications through KNEC’s online portal. The council has made clear that it will only reach out to applicants who make the shortlist.

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