By Ritah Atukwatse and Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the timetables for the 2025 national examinations, marking the start of a cycle that will see over 1.4 million learners sit for their final papers across the country.
Speaking to journalists at Uganda Media Center, UNEB Executive Director Dan Nokrach Odongo announced that this year’s exams will begin on October 10th with the briefing of candidates for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), followed by the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) briefing on October 31st, and later the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) briefing on November 7th.
“This examination marks the second time that we are conducting the UCE under the competency-based curriculum,” Odongo said, noting that all registered candidates will receive copies of the timetables while schools are expected to display them on notice boards for easy access.
“Braille versions have also been produced for visually impaired learners,” he added.
According to UNEB, a total of 1,416,468 candidates have provisionally registered for the three examinations, representing a 7.5% increase from last year’s 1,308,999. Of these, 51.5% are female while 48.5% are male.
PLE: 818,010 candidates (up from 797,444 in 2024, a 2.5% increase), UCE: 432,025 candidates (up from 379,699 in 2024, a 12.1% increase) and UACE: 166,433 candidates (up from 141,996 in 2024, a 14.7% increase)
The board also recorded 4,802 special needs candidates, an increase from 4,587 last year. Over half of the total candidates (719,016) are beneficiaries of the government’s Universal Education Program.
Odongo reminded schools that under the new competency-based curriculum, continuous assessment contributes 20% of the final UCE grade, with the remaining 80% coming from end-of-cycle exams. He urged headteachers of schools that have not yet submitted Term 2 scores to do so before the September 30th deadline.
He further cautioned some schools against fraudulently registering normal learners as special needs candidates in order to gain unfair advantages such as extra time. “This is criminal and fraudulent. Sanctions will be applied against such schools,” he warned.
UNEB retained last year’s theme, “Embracing Security and Holistic Assessment of Learners in a Dynamic Environment.” The board Executive Director said the theme remains relevant given the need for exam integrity and the shift to holistic learner assessment, which considers not only knowledge but also skills, projects, and attitudes.
With technological changes and artificial intelligence shaping education, he stressed that UNEB’s assessments must evolve to remain valid and reliable.
The board has updated and released new sets of past papers, including those reflecting the competency-based curriculum for UCE, now available for purchase.
Additionally, UNEB has concluded engagements with inspectors of schools and will this week meet supervisors and heads of centers to ensure smooth exam administration. Schools have already begun collecting examination materials from UNEB warehouses.
Meanwhile, UNEB urged parents, schools, and candidates to verify registration details and prepare diligently.
