Six months after thousands of candidates sat their national exams, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has released the 2024 KCSE question papers and marking schemes—but not without stirring public frustration.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, KNEC announced that the complete set of examination papers and their official marking schemes are now available in booklet form for Ksh2,200, exclusively at its bookshop in South C, Nairobi.
"The 2024 KCSE examination question papers and marking schemes are now available for purchase at our bookshop in New Mitihani House," the council stated.
The materials, intended to aid teaching, learning, and exam preparation, come just four months after results were released in January. Payment is accepted via mobile money through a Paybill account, with no current option for online access or delivery.
Frustration Over Accessibility and Cost
The announcement triggered an immediate backlash, particularly from teachers, parents, and Kenyans living abroad.
Many questioned why such important educational materials—especially from a public institution—were not freely available or at least accessible online.
"Go digital," one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). "This is the 21st century. South Africa and other international curricula provide exam resources online. Why can’t KNEC?"
Another criticised the sales model for creating what they described as an unfair playing field in the country’s already unequal education system.
“Big schools will access them. Struggling schools will continue suffering due to lack of exposure,” the user wrote.
Some also raised concerns for Kenyans living in the diaspora, saying they were being excluded from essential educational support.
A Contrast with Junior Secondary Resources
Interestingly, while KCSE resources remain behind a paywall, KNEC has made past papers for Junior Secondary School (JSS) candidates available for free.
The sample Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) papers were uploaded to the Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) portal in January, offering practice resources to all JSS learners.
This contrast has raised fresh questions about KNEC’s priorities, and whether secondary school candidates—especially those preparing for high-stakes exams—are receiving equitable support.
A Pattern of Discontent
This isn’t the first time KNEC has come under scrutiny. Previous exam seasons have been marred by technical hitches, questions around transparency, and limited access to study resources.
Calls for the council to modernise—by digitising its services and improving access to study materials—have grown louder in recent years, particularly from educators and education reform advocates.
As it stands, only those with physical access to Nairobi and Ksh2,200 to spare can benefit from the release of the 2024 KCSE exam booklet. For now, many students, especially in remote or under-resourced schools, may have to go without.
Whether KNEC will address the mounting pressure to make these resources more widely accessible remains to be seen.