Over 1, 600 fail Makerere university law pre-entry exams

About 77.6 per cent of students who sat pre-entry exams for the admission to the Bachelor of Laws at Makerere University have failed.

The list pinned at Makerere University on Friday, indicates that out of 2,080 candidates who sat pre-entry exams, only 447 students passed, accounting for only 22 per cent.

The results also show that 1, 633 accounting for 77.6 per cent failed the exams, dampening their hopes to join the law school. However, those who failed will have to try again next year or look for other institutions where pre-entry exams is not a requirement.

In Makerere University, all applicants wishing to be admitted to the Bachelor of Laws programme are required to sit and pass the pre-entry exams.

The pre-entry examinations cover areas such as reading and comprehension skills; language skills; numerical skills and logic; general knowledge and analytical writing skills.

Out of those who have passed, 378 were directly from A’level (direct entry) 42 were on degree entry while 27 were on diploma entry.

The academic registrar Alfred Masikye explained that students who have attained 50 and above qualified to join Law School in the new academic year which starts in August.

“The candidates who scored 50 per cent and above passed the examinations. The successful candidates who may be interested in studying Bachelor of Laws under private sponsorship should apply for Day or evening before the deadline of 30th April 2019,” Masikye said.

Mr Masikye, however, advised students who are not satisfied with their results to appeal within two weeks from the date of release.

This is not the first time a large number of students who sit for these exams are failing.
The failure rate has continued to rise without clear explanation.

The law graduates are also subjected to pre-entry. However, Justice Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire has opposed this move.

In February this year, Maj Gen Otafiire called for removal of the pre-entry exams for law graduates before they are admitted for the legal practice course at Law Development Centre (LDC). He said every student who has studied law at a recognised university should be allowed to join LDC without academic restrictions. Maj Gen Otafiire reasoned that the pre-entry exams are not necessary because if the students do not measure up to the task academically, they will fail LDC exams.