The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the results for the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), showing an impressive 98.05% pass rate.
A total of 350,146 candidates, out of 359,417 registered students, qualified for the UCE certificate under the new competency-based curriculum, signalling a significant milestone in the country’s education reforms.
The results reveal a balanced gender distribution, with 49.3% of male candidates and 50.7% of female candidates sitting for the exams. Additionally, 38.1% of the candidates were from the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme, and nearly all, 99.4%, attended the exams.
A key shift in this year’s assessment is the abandonment of the old division-based ranking system. Under the new curriculum, students are graded based on competency levels, with candidates qualifying for the UCE Certificate if they achieve at least a Grade D in any of the subjects they sat for.
In a notable achievement, UNEB reported a sharp decline in exam malpractice. Only 64 cases involving 984 candidates were flagged this year, a dramatic reduction from nearly 3,000 suspected cases in the previous year.
UNEB attributed the decrease to the nature of the exam papers, which are designed to reduce opportunities for cheating. However, the board noted that the majority of malpractice cases were concentrated in science practicals, particularly Physics, with 93.1% of malpractice cases occurring in science subjects.
“Many candidates were found to have simply copied experimental results from teachers, which did not align with their actual work,” UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo explained.
Despite the progress, Odongo highlighted challenges faced by schools, particularly in rural areas. “Many schools, especially private ones, are not equipped with adequate science labs or qualified teachers,” he noted.
“Some schools were also hesitant to fully embrace the new curriculum, clinging to the old system with the hope that the government would revert the changes.”
Odongo explained that these issues affected students’ performance in science subjects, but overall, the transition to a competency-based system has been successful. He emphasized the need for improved facilities and teacher training to fully support the curriculum’s goals, especially in practical science education.
Looking ahead, the term for Senior Five students will begin on March 3, 2025, with the selection process set for February 20 and 21, 2025.
