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2024 PLE: Boys outperform girls as overall pass rate improves to 91.8 per cent

Uneb Executive Director Dan Odongo during the release of the 2024 PLE results in Kampala on January 23, 2025. Photo/David Lubowa

What you need to know:

  • Uneb Executive Director Daniel Odongo reported a drop in distinctions across all subjects, attributing it to difficulties with questions requiring higher-level thinking skills.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has reported improved overall performance in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) compared to 2023, despite a slight decline in the number of candidates obtaining Division One.

Speaking during the release of the results at State House, Nakasero in Kampala on January 23, Uneb Chairperson Prof Celestino Obua said failure rates had reduced significantly.

"The failure rates have decreased, although there is a slight drop in the number of candidates obtaining Division One," Prof Obua said.

The board also highlighted an increase in the number of candidates with special needs who sat for the exams. Prof Obua noted that these candidates, particularly the deaf, performed significantly better than in previous years.

"In 2023, 44% of deaf candidates were ungraded, but this year, the proportion dropped to 23%, showing great improvement," Prof Obua said.

He acknowledged the financial challenges in providing special arrangements for these candidates, saying, "As I said last year, the provision of special arrangements for their examination is a costly activity that has been affected by budget shortfalls. However, we continue to hope for improved budget provision."

Drop in distinctions
Uneb Executive Director Daniel Odongo reported a drop in distinctions across all subjects, attributing it to difficulties with questions requiring higher-level thinking skills.

According to the results, 84,301 candidates scored Division One compared to 86,582 in 2023.

Meanwhile, 397,589 candidates passed in Division Two, 165,284 in Division Three, and 75,556 in Division Four. However, 64,251 candidates were ungraded and will need to repeat Primary Seven.

Odongo explained that despite the decline in distinctions, the overall pass rate improved. "A higher proportion of the candidates (91.8%) passed in 2024 compared to 88.0% in 2023," he said.

Gender performance
Boys outperformed girls overall in the 2024 PLE, recording higher numbers in Division One and lower failure rates.

According to the results, 45,203 boys passed in Division One compared to 39,098 girls. Boys also had fewer ungraded candidates (28,110) compared to girls (36,141).

However, girls outnumbered boys in Divisions Two, Three, and Four, likely due to higher female candidature. Females performed better in English, while males excelled in Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science, consistent with previous trends.

Increased candidature
The number of candidates who sat for the 2024 PLE increased to 797,444 from 14,883 centers, compared to 749,347 in 2023. Of these, 524,025 (65.7%) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 273,419 (34.3%) were from non-UPE schools.

"Candidature increased by 48,190 (6.4%) over the previous year," Mr Odongo said.

More girls (418,750) than boys (378,709) registered for the exams, reflecting a continued trend. "This has been consistent in recent years, with 52.5% of candidates being girls in 2024, compared to 52.3% in 2023," Odongo added.

Reduced Absenteeism
The rate of absenteeism among candidates dropped to its lowest level in five years. Out of the registered candidates, 789,981 sat for the exams, while 10,463 did not turn up, compared to 12,323 in 2023.

"The percentage of absentee candidates in 2024 dropped significantly, marking the lowest level over the last five years," Odongo said.