KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results, highlighting trends in student performance, subject choices and the growing number of candidates sitting national examinations.
Speaking during the official results release ceremony, UNEB Chairperson Celestino Obua said the examinations were conducted successfully between November 10 and December 5, 2025, with no major disruptions reported.
The board assessed a total of 1,402,434 candidates across Uganda’s three national examinations, the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and the UACE, marking a significant increase from 1,294,731 candidates recorded in 2024.
UACE candidature continues to grow
UNEB reported a sharp rise in UACE candidature, which increased by 17.2%, from 141,996 candidates in 2024 to 166,400 in 2025.
Education officials say the growth reflects expanding access to post-O-Level education and growing public confidence in the country’s national examination system.
Despite the surge in candidate numbers, Prof Obua said the board maintained its grading standards and examination integrity.
Humanities still attract majority of students
The results indicate that Humanities subjects remain the most popular among candidates, continuing a long-standing trend in Uganda’s education system.
While acknowledging the role of humanities in shaping leadership, governance and social development, Prof Obua called for greater investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to support national economic transformation.
“Although enrolment in STEM subjects shows a gradual upward trend, deliberate multi-sectoral interventions are required to achieve national targets in science and technology development,” Obua said.
The push for STEM education aligns with Uganda’s broader development strategy aimed at boosting industrialisation, innovation and technological advancement.
Female candidates maintain strong performance
According to UNEB, female candidates continued to perform strongly, recording higher grades than male students in several subjects, particularly in humanities.
They also registered lower failure rates overall, a trend that education officials say reflects sustained investment in programmes promoting girl-child education in Uganda.
However, Prof Obua noted that female candidates remain heavily concentrated in humanities subjects, with relatively fewer girls enrolling in science disciplines.
Education stakeholders say addressing this imbalance will be key to ensuring gender equity in science-related professions in the future.
Fewer cases of examination malpractice
UNEB also reported relatively low levels of examination malpractice during the 2025 UACE cycle.
Officials attributed the improvement to enhanced supervision, stronger security protocols and increased awareness among schools and candidates.
Any malpractice cases recorded will be addressed through UNEB’s statutory disciplinary procedures to ensure fairness for all candidates.
Education in prisons highlighted
The board also acknowledged candidates who sat the examinations from correctional facilities, including those from Luzira Upper Prison.
Also Read: Uganda UACE 2025 results show improvement as 68.6% of candidates qualify for university
Their participation and performance were cited as an example of how education can support rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Expanding opportunities after school
With increasing numbers of students qualifying for post-secondary education, Prof Obua emphasised the need to expand opportunities in universities, tertiary institutions and vocational training programmes.
“Assessment is not an end in itself; it must translate into productive national participation,” he said.
He also thanked the Ministry of Education and Sports (Uganda), UNEB staff and other education stakeholders for their support in successfully conducting the examinations.
Prof Obua congratulated candidates who performed well and encouraged those whose results did not meet expectations to remain determined and explore alternative education pathways.
