More candidates pass technical exams

The Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (UBTEB) has registered an increment in the performance of candidates who sat for November and December end-of-course examinations last year.
The results released include candidates who completed their studies in the Technical National Certificate, Advanced Craft, Uganda Diploma programmes, Business certificate programmes, and physical and biological diploma and certificate programmes.

During the release of the exam results yesterday, the Board Executive Secretary, Mr Onesmus Oyesigye, revealed that students’ performance has improved to 93 percent in 2023 compared to 78 percent in 2022.  
 Out of the 21,179 candidates who sat for examinations, 20,017 (93 percent) successfully acquired all competencies in their respective studies. 
The female candidates performed better than their male counterparts. Out of the 6,593 female candidates who sat, 6,308 representing 96 percent, successfully completed their studies whereas 13,709, representing 94 percent, out of the 14,586 male candidates who sat for the exams, completed their studies. 

Mr Oyesigye attributed the better performance to the new modularised assessment which was launched in 2022 to promote more practical hands-on skills. 
This assessment started with courses under the community polytechnics and national certificates.
 “The performance of the students in these results considered their participation in continuous assessment, industrial training, practical assessment, real-life projects, and final written assessment,” he added.
 Mr Oyesigye further said the candidates of national certificate courses, who have undergone their training under the modularised training and assessment, have performed better with 95 percent compared to the performance of candidates in the previously non modularised assessment at 76 percent in 2022.

 UBTEB registered 55 cases of examination malpractices where 23 students were caught smuggling unauthorised materials, 23 smuggling phones, there were five in collusion and four impersonation cases. 
The results of the affected candidates were canceled and the board requested the victims to re-sit these exams when next offered. 
 “There is a need to financially support the Board and assessment centres to implement the TVET Policy 2019 through modularisation of skills assessment, and staff capacity building, to re-align assessment to the needs of the world of work,” Mr Oyesigye said.  

 The Minister of Education and Sports, Ms Janet Museveni, commended UBTEB for supporting female students and also encouraged the public to pursue TVET as an alternative pathway to career progression in education.
“I am happy to note that in the results being released today, female candidates have performed better than their male counterparts and that the number of girls has continued to increase in Technical Vocational Education and Training institutions,” Ms Museveni said in her speech presented by the State Minister for Primary Education, Dr Joyce Kaducu.

She added: “I wish to pledge the commitment of the NRM (National Resistance Movement) government to initiate and support more reforms in our education system to support the infrastructural development being undertaken such as the oil refinery, standard gauge railway, ICT infrastructure, electricity generation, and automobile production, among others.”

Malpractice
UBTEB registered 55 cases of examination malpractices where 23 students were caught smuggling unauthorised materials, 23 smuggling phones, there were five in collusion and four impersonation cases. The results of the affected candidates were canceled and the board requested the victims to re-sit these exams when next offered.