Last reviewed: 24 October 2026
Cambridge IGCSE and A Level exams in Kenya run in two main series a year: May/June and October/November. Registration closes months before the exams, so missing a deadline can delay a student by half a year. This guide explains the series, the 2026 deadlines published by the British Council in Kenya, and how registration works for school and private candidates.
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The exam series
Cambridge International runs its main IGCSE and AS/A Level series in May/June and October/November. Pearson Edexcel International GCSE and International A Level have their own series, including a January series for some subjects. Most students in Kenyan schools sit the series their school enters them for, while private candidates choose the series that suits them.
2026 registration deadlines in Kenya
The British Council in Kenya publishes deadlines for the Cambridge sessions it administers:
- May/June 2026 (private candidates): registration and full payment had to be received by 13 February 2026.
- October/November 2026: normal registration ran until 7 August 2026, with a late entry period from 8 August to 14 September 2026 at a penalty fee.
Both 2026 windows have now closed. The British Council will publish the 2027 dates on its website; based on the 2026 pattern, expect the May/June 2027 deadline in the first quarter of 2027, but rely only on the date it publishes.
Schools that are Cambridge centres set their own internal deadlines, usually earlier than the British Council’s, so they can process entries. Internal deadlines a week or more ahead of the British Council’s are common. Always ask your child’s school for its own date.
How registration works
School candidates
If your child attends a school that is a Cambridge centre, the school enters them. Parents usually pay exam fees to the school, sign a statement listing the subjects and components, and provide an ID or birth certificate copy.
Private candidates
Students not attending a Cambridge school can register through the British Council. The steps it lists are: register online, pay in full (including a separate KNEC fee of KSh 5,400 per candidate), email a passport photo, payment slip and ID document (plus a parent’s ID for under-18s), and then receive a Statement of Entry about three weeks before the exams. See IGCSE as a private candidate in Kenya for the full process.
Planning backwards from the exam
- Decide the series about a year ahead.
- Confirm subject availability, especially practicals and speaking tests, which need supervised sessions.
- Diary the school’s internal deadline and the British Council deadline.
- Pay early; applications are not processed until full payment, including the KNEC fee, is received.
- Check the Statement of Entry carefully for spelling of names and subject codes.
Results
Cambridge releases results for the May/June series in August and for October/November in January, through schools and centres. Certificates follow later.
For costs, see the cost of IGCSE exams in Kenya; for school fees, see the fees directory.
Sources
- British Council Kenya, “Registration dates and deadlines” and “Exam registration for private candidates” (britishcouncil.co.ke)
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment, exam series and results release information
CBC Guides is independent and not affiliated with Cambridge, Pearson or the British Council.