UBTEB to conduct technical and vocational exams in phases

The Uganda Business and Technology Examination Board (UBTEB) has said that it will conduct the forthcoming examinations in phases due to Covid-19.

Addressing journalists at their offices in Ntinda on Monday, the Ubteb Executive Director, Mr Onesmus Oyesigye, said that the first batch of students will sit for their exams on December 13, 2021 and the second batch will sit for their exams on January 24, 2022.

“Due to Covid-19, we shall not conduct the exams at once as it has always been to avoid overcrowding in the examination rooms,” he said.

All students undertaking National Certificate Programs in technical and vocational institutions are slated to sit for their exams in December while students doing diplomas in Business and Humanities are slated to sit for their exams in January.

UBTEB’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Dr Wilfred Nahamya, said all heads of institutions have been asked to ensure that they register all their students for exams before the end of this month for better preparations.

He also cautioned them to continue following the set standard operating procedures that were set by the ministries of education and health.

The Minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni has on several occasions urged tertiary institutions to continue following the SOPs even after reopening.

“I call upon all our tertiary institutions at large that even as you have reopened to learners, do not let your guards down from observing the SOPs. COVID-19 is still with us,” she said on Friday.

The government reopened all universities and other tertiary institutions across the country on November 1 and the majority are set to conduct their exams next month after one month of studying.

The clearance of these institutions to reopen followed five months of the closure of all institutions of learning by president Museveni due to the spike in Cocid-19 cases.

Their colleagues in primary and secondary schools are expected to report back in January next year after sufficient vaccination of Ugandans.

Meanwhile, UBTEB also revealed that they will be celebrating 10 years of existence tomorrow.

UBTEB is a statutory national assessment body that was established in 2011 by an Act of Parliament and mandated to streamline, regulate, coordinate and conduct credible national examinations and award Certificates and Diplomas in the Business, Technical and Vocational professions in Uganda.

According to Mr Oyesigye, the board in 2011 at its inception assessed at least 20,000 students, which he said has now grown to over 100,000 after 10 years.