The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has raised concern over gaps in the implementation of competency-based learning after the majority of candidates who sat the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) demonstrated only medium-level mastery of subject knowledge.
According to the official PLE 2025 results released on Friday, nearly two-thirds of candidates across all four subjects — English, Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies with Religious Education — fell under the medium ability category, with fewer than 20 per cent exhibiting higher-order skills such as application and problem-solving in new situations .
UNEB said the findings point to persistent challenges in transitioning classroom instruction from rote learning to competency-based education, which emphasizes critical thinking, application of knowledge, and real-life problem solving.
English Shows Progress, SST Raises Alarm
The item response analysis shows that English recorded the strongest performance, with 18.5 per cent of candidates demonstrating higher-level ability, followed by Mathematics (16.4%), Integrated Science (15.6%), and Social Studies with Religious Education (15.9%) .
Despite English showing improvement compared to 2024, UNEB reported a sharp decline in Social Studies and Religious Education, attributing the drop to teachers’ slow adjustment to competency-based teaching approaches. Examiners noted that many candidates struggled with questions requiring application of knowledge to their communities, national issues, and real-life scenarios in Uganda.
Persistent Learning Gaps Identified
UNEB highlighted specific learning areas where candidates — including those in the higher-ability category — faced difficulties. In Mathematics, candidates struggled with applying percentages in real-life contexts such as buying and selling, interpreting bearings, and solving distance-time-speed problems. In English, weaknesses were noted in composition structure, punctuation, vocabulary, and inferential comprehension .
In Integrated Science, candidates had difficulty explaining practical concepts such as flotation, fire control, first aid responsibilities, and simple machines, while Social Studies candidates struggled with climate factors, rights of children, factors of production, and lessons from the National Anthem.
UNEB warned that these gaps, if not addressed, could undermine the objectives of the new lower secondary curriculum that builds on foundational competencies developed at primary level.
Growing Numbers, Strong Participation
A total of 817,883 candidates registered for the 2025 PLE, marking a 2.6 per cent increase from 2024. Of these, 807,313 candidates sat the examination, while 10,570 candidates (1.3%) were absent — the same absentee rate recorded the previous year and lower than in earlier years .
Girls continued to outnumber boys, accounting for 52.4 per cent of registered candidates, reinforcing UNEB’s observation that more girls are completing the primary education cycle.
Division Results Show Mixed Picture
While overall pass numbers improved, UNEB data show that performance remains heavily concentrated in Division Two, which accounted for 48.1 per cent of candidates. Division One passes increased to 91,990, up from 84,301 in 2024, while the proportion of ungraded candidates also rose slightly to 9.55 per cent.
UNEB said the results reflect steady progress at the top end but called for renewed focus on learners at the lower end of the performance spectrum.
Malpractice Threatens Examination Integrity
UNEB also sounded the alarm over increasingly organised examination malpractice, revealing that some school administrators and directors bribed or threatened invigilators to allow teacher assistance in examination rooms. As a result, results for affected candidates have been withheld pending investigations, particularly in districts including Kampala, Mukono, Kisoro, Kassanda, Buyende and Kaliro.
The Board, however, praised districts such as Kyenjojo, where strict enforcement in previous years has led to improved compliance.
Call for Teacher Re-training
UNEB urged the Ministry of Education and Sports to intensify teacher support, re-training, and supervision to align classroom practices with competency-based assessment.
Detailed subject performance reports will be shared with schools to guide remedial teaching and curriculum improvement.
