KCSE Chemistry practical is set to take place today.
As usual, the teachers in charge of the practical have already received the confidential for the KCSE paper.
The trickiest part of it all is the fact that the Chemistry practical will be marked based on the teacher’s findings which differ from one institution to another due to various variables such as temperature.
Remember there is no way a teacher in North Eastern will have the same findings as that of a teacher in Western Kenya.
Most schools by now have already put up a façade by enclosing the apparatus and reagents using “black” curtains to prevent any early exposure of the examination.
The truth is, invigilators and supervisors today still have to be extra cautious since Chemistry Paper three greatly determines a candidate’s overall score in Chemistry.
Remember keeping your TSC job which you have toiled for all these years depends on the outcomes of Chemistry paper three.
TOO SENSITIVE
One month ago, Professor Magoha forewarned of any identical readings and findings in Practicals.
KNEC has noted that most candidates will end up with similar findings despite conducting the Practical independently.
This is way too weird because the council gives an allowance for students to deviate by a margin of +2 or -2.
However, most teachers who access the confidential early will not uphold integrity.
THIS IS HOW THEY PLAN TO CHEAT IN THE KCSE CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL
The most common way is clever candidates will request the invigilator to call their teacher for them because they do not have “enough” reagent X or because a certain apparatus is dysfunctional.
If an invigilator, who is also a teacher, tries to help, the student will turn down the offer and insist that it is only Teacher Y who can unravel the “mystery.”
Left without option, the invigilator will have to go for Teacher X. then there it is! A golden opportunity for the teacher to confirm whether the student got it right or give the correct reading!
My advice to you is, accompany the teachers in charge throughout the entire session. Do not give room for the devil.
No teacher will let sleeping dogs lie especially given the fact that Chemistry Theory papers are hard nuts to crack.
The other way is “group movements.” The candidates know each other well and the school will arrange them in such a way that the bright students are well distributed in each session.
So when heating element X or rinsing apparatus, they will patiently wait until the bright candidate(s) join them.
That is another opportunity for the weaker candidates to confirm whether their findings are correct or not.
The last way is by arranging the candidates in such a manner that the first shift is composed of the weakest candidates who will be used as “sacrificial lambs.”
This is common in Biology Practicals where the bright ones just need to know the specimen provided and predict the questions.
As the first shift leaves the laboratory, they will be discussing what was set. The bright candidates would have known what to revise for.
In the case of Chemistry, the sacrificial lambs will be used to clear the serious invigilation phase as teachers prepare for a soft landing during the next session.
They know very well that the invigilators and supervisors would have relaxed by the time the next session begins.
My take, invigilate thoroughly for all the sessions since Chemistry Practicals are the most sensitive thus bound to produce Ys in schools…
