The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the timetable for the 2025 national examinations, covering the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). According to the schedule, UCE exams will kick off on October 13, followed by PLE on November 3, and UACE on November 10. Before the exams, candidates will attend mandatory briefings starting October 10 for UCE, October 31 for PLE, and November 7 for UACE.
This year, a total of 1,416,468 students have been registered to sit for the three exams, marking a 7.5% increase from 2024, when 1,308,998 candidates took part. Of the total candidates, 51.5% are females, while 48.5% are males, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo reported.
The PLE category has seen a modest increase, rising from 797,444 candidates in 2024 to 818,010 in 2025, representing a 2.5% growth. UCE recorded a more significant increase of 12.1%, with 432,025 candidates registered compared to 379,699 last year. UACE registered the highest surge, growing by 14.7% to 166,433 candidates from 141,996 in 2024.
Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates also increased slightly, from 4,587 in 2024 to 4,802 this year. Among them, 3,619 are sitting for PLE, 670 for UCE, and 513 for UACE.
In terms of funding, just over half of the candidates, 719,016, are government-funded under the Universal Education Programs, while 697,452 are privately sponsored. This rise in candidature reflects a growing demand for education across the country, highlighting Uganda’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to learning for all students.
