UNEB releases UCE 2025 results, failure rate declines significantly

2026-02-13 - 11:50

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has today released the Uganda Certificate of Education results for 2025. The event which took place at State Lodge Nakasero, was officiated by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni. The Executive Director of UNEB, Mr. Dan Odongo said a total of 432,163 candidates from 3,975 examination centres registered for the UCE 2025 examinations, compared to 359,417 candidates in 2024, representing an increase of 72,746 candidates (20.2%). He compared the general candidates’ performance for the 2025 and 2024 UCE Examinations Under the Competency-Based Curriculum, explaining that the candidate performance is reported using achievement levels represented by the letter grades A, B, C, D, and E. “The achievement levels for each subject were determined through systematic, technical processes involving statistical and psychometric analysis. These processes integrate: Continuous Assessment (CA) conducted at school level — 20% contribution, End-of-Cycle Examination score — 80% contribution,” he said. Mr. Odongo said this combined assessment approach ensures a balanced and holistic evaluation of learner performance under the competency-based framework. He also noted that the percentage of candidates who did not qualify for the UCE certificate has declined significantly, dropping from 1.9% in 2024 to just 0.31% in 2025. “These outcomes will be indicated on candidates’ transcripts as either Result 2 or Result 3, defined as follows: Result 2: Indicates that a candidate did not fulfil all the conditions for award, for example: Missing a project score Sitting for fewer subjects than required Result 3: Indicates that a candidate. scored below the basic level (Grade E) in all subjects.” On examination malpractice, Mr. Odongo said cases of examination malpractice at this level remain minimal, with only 63 cases reported. “The nature and design of the examination items do not easily lend themselves to malpractice.” Prof. Celestino Obua- UNEB chairperson said whereas in 2024 UNEB was treading on new ground, the 2025 terrain proved far more familiar, with significantly improved institutional capacity. “I sincerely commend the Executive Director and staff for their dedication and professionalism, which has enabled the successful release of the results of the second cohort of candidates under the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC),” he said. “During the release of the 2024 examination results, I stated that the Competence-Based Curriculum was a good and progressive reform. This assessment was based on insights gathered through interactions with various stakeholders.” He added that last year, the Board undertook a comprehensive study to obtain empirical evidence on the benefits of the CBC from the perspectives of school administrators, teachers, and learners themselves. This study was further informed by your directive to address a legitimate and important question: How do learners under the CBC differ from those under the former content-based curriculum?” Prof. Obua said. “The findings provide a clear and convincing answer. The results confirm that the CBC is a strong, transformative curriculum, well-positioned to produce the type of Ugandans needed to drive the country’s socio-economic transformation and advance Uganda toward its middle-income status vision.”