By The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has announced that a total of 1,416,307 candidates have been registered to sit for this year’s national examinations, marking a significant 6.9% increase compared to last year.
According to a statement released by UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo, the provisional candidature was confirmed at the close of the final registration phase on 31st July 2025. This total covers all three levels of national exams — the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
The number of candidates increased by 97,168 from the 1,319,139 recorded in 2024.
At the primary level, 817,987 candidates have been registered, up from 797,444 last year — an increase of 2.51%.
For the Uganda Certificate of Education, 431,856 candidates will sit for the exams, a 12.07% rise from 379,699 in 2024.
At UACE level, 166,464 candidates have registered, representing a 14.69% increase from last year’s 141,996.
Of the total candidature, 428,398 females and 389,589 males will sit for the PLE; 227,867 females and 203,989 males for UCE; while 72,861 females and 93,603 males have registered for UACE.
In line with the UNEB Act Cap 259 Section 4(2), all schools are now required to display the final registers of candidates on their notice boards 60 days before the commencement of examinations. This will allow candidates and stakeholders to verify registration details and ensure accuracy in the submitted biodata.
UNEB has pledged to communicate the official dates for the display soon and expects full compliance from all schools.
The increase in candidature across all levels signals continued growth in Uganda’s education sector, as more learners progress through the system despite existing challenges.
