education 13 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
98.9% of 2025 UACE Candidates Qualify for Certificates, 68.6% Eligible for University
Nearly all candidates who sat for the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams have qualified for certificates, with 68.6% meeting the two principal passes needed for university degree admissions. This marks an improvement over 2024, amid a 17.2% rise in participants. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/education/2025-uace-98-9-candidates-qualify-for-certificate-5389652
A remarkable 98.9% of candidates for the 2025 UACE exams qualified for their certificates, according to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). Under existing rules, a subsidiary pass in a principal subject suffices for certification.
For university degree programs, which typically require two principal passes, 113,291 candidates—or 68.6%—are eligible. This is up from 65.5% in 2024, reflecting a surge in exam entries.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo noted that an additional 21,018 university spots could accommodate the increase. For tertiary options like TVET diplomas needing one principal and two subsidiaries, 87.9% (145,129 candidates) qualify.
Registration hit 166,400 candidates, a 17.2% jump from 141,996 in 2024, with 165,172 actually sitting. Females made up 43.8% of examinees, while males were 56.2%. UPOLET program entries rose to 42,327 (25.4% of total).
Exam centers grew by 8.7% to 2,452 from 2,255 last year.