First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni, has officially released the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examination results at State House, Nakasero, highlighting a significant rise in candidature and an overall improvement in performance.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), a total of 166,400 candidates registered for the 2025 UACE examinations, representing a 17.2 percent increase from 141,996 candidates in 2024.
Of those registered, 72,764 (43.7%) were female, while 93,636 (56.3%) were male.
Growth in National Examination Candidature
UNEB Chairperson Prof. Celestino Obua said the number of candidates sitting national examinations continues to grow steadily.
“This year, the Board assessed a total of 1,402,434 candidates across the three national examinations — Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE),” Prof. Obua said.
This represents an increase from 1,294,731 candidates in 2024, reflecting expanding access to education and growing confidence in national assessment systems.
Prof. Obua said the board remains committed to maintaining examination standards despite the growing number of candidates.
“As candidature expands, the Board remains mindful of its responsibility to safeguard standards, ensure comparability over time and maintain fairness in assessment,” he said.
More Students Completing Exams
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo noted that the number of candidates who registered but failed to sit the examinations has continued to decline, indicating improved supervision and completion rates.
A total of 165,172 candidates actually sat the examinations, compared to 140,884 candidates in 2024, representing an increase of 24,288 candidates.
The number of examination centres also rose from 2,255 in 2024 to 2,452 in 2025, an increase of 197 centres.
Female Candidates Perform Strongly
The results show that female candidates continued to perform better than their male counterparts in several subjects, particularly in the Humanities.
UNEB reported that female candidates achieved stronger grades at the principal pass level (A–E) in most humanities subjects as well as Mathematics, Physics, General Paper, Subsidiary Mathematics and Subsidiary ICT.
However, male candidates recorded higher numbers of top A grades in Mathematics and some Science subjects.
Despite the strong performance, UNEB noted that female participation in science subjects remains lower compared to male candidates, reflecting broader gender trends in subject selection.
Improved Overall Performance
The results also indicate a general improvement in academic performance.
According to UNEB, 68.9 percent of candidates qualified for the UACE certificate, which requires at least a subsidiary pass in a principal subject.
For university admission, where students must obtain at least two principal passes, a total of 113,291 candidates (68.6%) qualify, compared to 92,273 candidates (65.5%) in 2024.
This increase means over 21,000 additional university spaces may be required to accommodate the growing number of qualifying students.
Meanwhile, 145,129 candidates (87.9%) qualify for diploma programmes in tertiary institutions such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
Subject Performance Trends
Performance improved in several subjects including:
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Agriculture
- Geography
- Economics
- Biology
- Literature in English
However, UNEB reported declines in some subjects such as:
- Entrepreneurship Education
- Christian Religious Education
- Fine Art
- Physics
In Humanities subjects, examiners noted challenges in interpretation of questions, weak analytical skills and poor logical presentation of arguments.
In Sciences, performance was affected by limited practical exposure, including difficulty interpreting experimental procedures, analysing data and relating scientific concepts to real-life situations.
Special Needs Candidates Increase
The number of Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates also increased.
A total of 540 candidates with special needs registered for the 2025 UACE exams, compared to 437 in 2024.
Of these, 274 were male and 266 were female.
Low Cases of Examination Malpractice
UNEB reported that examination malpractice remained relatively low.
A total of 351 candidates (0.2%) from 47 examination centres were implicated in malpractice cases out of 2,452 centres nationwide.
The cases mainly involved unauthorised materials, receiving assistance during science practical examinations, and impersonation.
Under the UNEB Act, the results of affected candidates have been withheld pending investigations.
Odongo said hearings for UCE malpractice cases will begin on March 16, 2026, while investigations into UACE cases are ongoing.
Detailed Reports to Be Shared with Schools
UNEB said detailed subject performance reports will be prepared and shared with schools to help teachers improve instruction and address areas where candidates continue to face difficulties.
Education officials say the rising number of candidates reflects growing access to post-secondary education and increased demand for university and tertiary training opportunities across the country.
