2024 UCE: UNEB withholds results of 984 candidates
First lady and education minister Janet Museveni receives 2024 results of the New Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC) during their release at State House Nakasero on February 11, 2025. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- UNEB says there's a reduction in the number of withheld exams "because the new curriculum focuses on critical thinking, eliminating the possibility of cheating."
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has withheld the results of 984 candidates from the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations.
While the names of the affected schools were not disclosed, UNEB confirmed that it is investigating 64 cases of malpractice involving these candidates.
Dan Odongo, UNEB’s Executive Director, stated: “The nature of the examination items does not typically lend themselves to malpractice. However, most of the reported cases are in science practical papers, with Physics being the most affected. Of the cases, 883 (93.1%) are in the sciences, and 65 (6.9%) involve other subjects.”
He added: “In the science-related cases, there is substantial evidence that candidates were given experimental results by teachers to copy. The work submitted by the candidates did not correspond with the recorded results.”
UNEB has consistently withheld results due to malpractice, but this year, only 984 candidates were implicated, down from around 3,000 in 2023.
Jennifer Kalule, UNEB’s spokesperson, credited the reduction in malpractice to the new curriculum, which encourages independent thinking among students.
“The new curriculum focuses on critical thinking, eliminating the possibility of cheating. It requires students to solve problems independently, making it harder for them to cheat,” she explained.
She further emphasized that the curriculum, which includes scenario-based questions, encourages analysis and application of knowledge, moving away from rote memorization.
UNEB stated that the affected candidates will be invited to a tribunal hearing to defend themselves. “After the tribunal process, some results may be released, while others may be canceled if it is proven beyond doubt that the candidates were involved in malpractice,” Kalule said.
Overall, results show that 350,146 candidates who sat for the 2024 UCE examinations under the new curriculum passed and qualify for certificates.
FYI
Under the revised grading system, candidates are assessed as follows:
- A – Exceptional Achievement
- B – Outstanding Performance
- C – Satisfactory Performance
- D – Basic Understanding
- E – Elementary Understanding
A is equivalent to D1, D2
B is equivalent to C3, C4
C is equivalent to C5,C6
D is equivalent to P7,P8
E is equivalent to F9
