Senate Plans to Investigate KCSE Exam Cheating Underway
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, who is also the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, announced on Tuesday plans to investigate the integrity of the 2022 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examination (KCSE).
“The Senate will summon officials of the ministry of education so as to get to the bottom of this issue and will table a report on the same.
Nyutu stated that the Senate will summon officials from the Ministry of Education to uncover the truth about the credibility and administration process of the exam.
"We are investigating whether there was leakage. We have seen queries by Kenyans on social media but we urge them to be patient. We want to ascertain the truth," he stated.
The committee is specifically looking into concerns raised about the results announced by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on November 20th, as well as reported cases of "abnormal curves” where certain schools had a significant increase in mean standard scores.
Abnormal curves in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam refer to situations where the distribution of scores deviates from what is considered to be a normal or expected distribution.
This can occur for a variety of reasons, such as cheating, errors in grading, or a lack of standardization in the administration of the exam
Nyutu, a former teacher, urged Kenyans to be patient as the investigation takes place and emphasized the importance of establishing the truth.
The Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) is responsible for monitoring and investigating any potential cases of abnormal curves in the KCSE exam.
They use various methods such as statistical analysis, investigations, and reports from invigilators to detect and prevent cheating.
The Ministry of Education and Kenya National Examination Council have denied any cases of leakage in the assessment.
It’s important to note that abnormal curves are not unique to KCSE, it happens in all exams where large number of students take, and it’s the responsibility of the examination council to ensure the integrity and fairness of the examination process.
Senate Plans to Investigate KCSE Exam Cheating Underway