Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reported a notable increase in registered candidates for the 2025 national examinations across all levels: Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
According to the press statement dated 1st August 2025, signed by Daniel Odongo, the Executive Director, a total of 1,416,307 candidates have registered for this year’s Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
This marks an increase of 97,168 candidates compared to the 2024 figure of 1,319,139, representing a 6.9% growth in overall candidature, with notable rises recorded at each examination level.
A total of 817,987 candidates have registered to sit for PLE, up from 797,444 in 2024 (a 2.51% rise), while UCE recorded 431,856 candidates, a 12.07% increase from last year’s 379,699.
The most significant growth was observed at the UACE level, where 166,464 candidates registered compared to 141,996 in 2024, translating to a 14.69% increase.
Gender-disaggregated data showed female candidates outnumbering males in PLE (428,398 vs. 389,589) and UCE (227,867 vs. 203,980), while UACE saw a reversal with more male registrants (93,603 vs. 72,861).
UNEB emphasized the legal requirement for schools to display the register of candidates on notice boards sixty days before the examinations commence.
This measure, mandated under the UNEB Act Cap 259 Section 4(2), ensures transparency and allows candidates and stakeholders to verify registration details and biodata accuracy.
The Board will announce the official display period in the coming weeks, with all registered schools mandated to post candidate registers prominently on their notice boards for the full sixty-day period prior to examinations.