The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) Chairperson, Prof Celestino Obua, hands over the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results to Minister for Education and Sports Janet Museveni before the release at State Lodge, Nakasero, on February 11, 2025. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA
More candidates who sat for the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations under the new curriculum have passed. Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) reported that 98 percent of the 357,120 candidates who sat for the exams attained the minimum grades required for a certificate, compared to 95.9 percent who took the exams in 2023 under the old curriculum.
Mr Daniel Odongo, the executive director of Uneb, yesterday said a total of 359,417 candidates registered for the 2024 UCE exams, with 182,284 of them females and 177,133 males. He said 350,146 (98 percent) of 357,120 those who sat, passed and qualified for the award of UCE certificate.
This will be indicated on their transcript and certificate as Result 1. Mr Odongo, who released the exam results at the Nakasero State Lodge in Kampala, said 357,120 candidates turned up for the exams but 2,297 were no-shows. A total of 6,974 candidates failed the exams and did not meet the conditions for the award of the UCE certificate, a significant reduction from the 34,530 who failed in 2023.
Downloads: UCE 2024 School Ranking based on Grades
New grading format
Unlike in the past, where candidates were graded using the traditional distinctions, Uneb has introduced a new ranking of a learner’s achievement level in each subject with letter grades A to E. A means exceptional performance, followed by B for outstanding, C for satisfactory, and D for basic performance, with E as the lowest grade and representing elementary achievement. Mr Odongo said all candidates who attain grades A to D in the nine subjects qualify for the UCE certificate. Candidates who scored only Es in all the nine subjects offered by a candidate do not qualify for a certificate. “Under the new curriculum, there is no word like failure because every candidate will receive a grade and a transcript describing his or her competence acquired,” Mr Odongo said.
General performance
Uneb reported exceptional levels of achievement in Art and Design, History and Political Education, Agriculture, Christian Religious Education, Geography, and Mathematics. This was after all candidates passed Art and Design, with only 0.3 percent failing Agriculture. Similarly, only 1.2 percent failed History and Political Education, while 0.7 percent failed Christian Religious Education, and 0.1 percent failed Geography. Most candidates in the above subjects attained grades A to D.
The First Lady who doubles as the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataha Museveni looks on during the release of 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exam results by Uneb at State Lodge, Nakasero in Kampala on February 11, 2025. PHOTO/ DAVID LUBOWA
But Mr Odongo noted that a significant proportion of the candidates scored at the elementary level (below basic) in Physics (12.8 percent), Chemistry (6.1 percent), and English Language (3.6 percent). “The reports from our scorers (examiners) indicate that in the science practical assessments, candidates were expected to use a given scenario and materials provided to develop aims and a hypothesis, plan and carry out investigations, and draw conclusions,” he said.
“The main problem observed is the failure of candidates to interpret the scenarios, connect the scenarios and materials supplied to real-life situations, interpret experiment results, and create meaning connected to everyday situations,” Mr Odongo added. He said candidates who were not properly guided tried to use recall instead of analytical thinking to respond to the scenarios.
Male versus female
Analysis of the results shows that male candidates performed better than their female counterparts at the exceptional (A), and outstanding (B) levels.
However, the female candidates demonstrated higher achievement levels in English Language, Christian Religious Education, and Art and Design. “In other subjects, including Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography, the proportions of female candidates in the exceptional (A), and outstanding (B) levels are lower than that of males,” Mr Odongo said.
Whereas the female candidates had lower scores at the exceptional (A), and outstanding (B) levels in most subjects, the number of male candidates scoring at the elementary (E) level was higher. This means more male candidates failed compared to their female counterparts.
“Female candidates demonstrated higher achievement levels in English Language, Christian Religious Education, and Art and Design. In the other subjects History and Political Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, Chemistry, and Biology, the proportions of females in the exceptional (A), and outstanding (B) levels are lower than those of males,” Mr Odongo said.
Meanwhile, all 38 candidates, who sat for the UCE exams from Luzira Upper Prison School and Mbarara Main Prison Inmate Secondary School, passed. The inmates scored between A and D, qualifying them to receive a Uneb certificate and proceed to the next level.
A similar pass rate among inmates was recorded in the recently released Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results. Also, learners with special needs who sat for UCE exams performed well. Of the 738 special needs candidates, 703 (95.3 percent) passed and qualified for UCE certificates, while only 35 (4.7 percent) did not qualify. “Worth noting is that all the candidates in the Deaf category qualified for the UCE certificate. This is unlike in the past when they appeared to be very disadvantaged,” Mr Odongo said.
Results withheld
The UCE exam results of 984 candidates have been withheld due to suspected malpractice. Most reported cases involve science practical papers, with physics being the most affected. Of the reported cases, 883 are in sciences, while only 65 involve other subjects.
