For thousands of Kenyans, academic certificates issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) are among the most important documents they will ever hold.

These certificates — whether for KCPE, KCSE, or other national examinations — often determine access to further education, jobs, and career opportunities.

But what happens when your name is misspelt, or you need to change it legally after marriage or through gazettement?

KNEC has a procedure in place to help candidates amend errors or replace lost certificates, provided they meet specific requirements.

Name changes are permitted if:

This process is different from certificate replacement, which applies when a certificate is lost or damaged.

Applicants must prepare the following documents:

If the school is closed or the candidate sat exams in a private centre, a recommendation letter from the relevant education authority (DEO/PDE) must be attached.

KNEC allows two ways of applying:

Surrender your original certificate when picking the corrected one.

Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.