The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), has released the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results, announcing that 99.69 percent of candidates who sat for the examination qualified for the certificate.
A total of 432,163 candidates from 3,975 examination centres registered for the exams, representing a 20.2 percent increase compared to 2024. Of these, 429,949 candidates sat the examinations, while 0.5 percent were absent.
The results mark the second cohort assessed under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which grades learners from A (Exceptional) to E (Elementary).
Improved Performance
According to UNEB, 428,628 candidates qualified for the UCE certificate — a significant improvement from 2024. The percentage of candidates who did not qualify dropped from 1.9 percent last year to 0.31 percent in 2025.
Performance improved in English Language, Christian Religious Education and Geography. The sciences also registered notable gains, with fewer candidates scoring below the basic competency level.
However, UNEB noted that some candidates continue to struggle with applying knowledge to real-life situations — a key focus of the CBC framework.
Gender and Special Groups
Female candidates outperformed males in English Language and Christian Religious Education, while performance in other subjects remained largely comparable.
Among 708 Special Needs Education candidates who registered, 98.2 percent qualified for the certificate after receiving accommodations such as Braille materials, sign language interpretation and extra time.
All candidates who sat from Luzira and Mbarara prison schools also qualified.
Malpractice Cases Low
Only 63 cases of examination malpractice were reported, mainly in Mathematics and science practical papers.
Odongo congratulated successful candidates, teachers and parents, encouraging those who did not qualify to take advantage of opportunities to re-sit.
