KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the results of the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, revealing improved performance and a growing number of candidates qualifying for university admission.
The results, announced on Friday, March 13, indicate that 68.6% of candidates met the minimum requirements for university entry, marking a notable improvement from 65.5% recorded in 2024.
A total of 166,400 candidates registered for the 2025 examinations, up 17.2% from 141,996 in 2024, reflecting continued growth in the number of students completing secondary education in Uganda.
Of those registered, 165,172 candidates sat the examinations, with 72,764 (43.7%) female and 93,636 (56.3%) male.
The number of examination centres also increased from 2,255 in 2024 to 2,452 in 2025, helping improve accessibility for candidates across the country.
“In the post-COVID period, the rate of increase in candidature sitting the exam has been quite rapid, rising from 96,557 in 2022 to 165,172 in 2025 — a 71 percent increase,” UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said.
More candidates qualify for university
The latest results show 113,291 candidates qualified for university admission, compared with 92,273 candidates in 2024.
Under Uganda’s university admission requirements, students typically need at least two Principal passes at A-Level to qualify for degree programmes.
“University admissions to degree courses have historically required two Principal level passes. Based on this criterion, 113,291 candidates (68.6%) qualify for degree programmes, up from 92,273 (65.5%) in 2024,” Odongo said.
For other tertiary institutions such as technical and vocational training centres, the minimum requirement of one Principal pass and two Subsidiary passes means that 145,129 candidates (87.9%) qualify.
Overall performance trends
UNEB data shows improvements across several subjects, including:
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Agriculture
- Geography
- Economics
- Biology
- Literature in English
According to the board’s statistics:
- 41.7% of candidates achieved three Principal passes (3P)
- 26.9% attained two Principal passes (2P)
- 19.3% secured one Principal pass (1P)
- 11% obtained one Subsidiary pass (1S)
Only 1.1% of candidates failed to qualify for the UACE certificate.
Education analysts say the trend suggests gradual improvement in the quality of learning outcomes as Uganda continues to rebuild its education system following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Female candidates outperform males in most subjects
The results also reveal a strong performance by female candidates in several subjects.
Proportionally, female students outperformed their male counterparts in Humanities, Mathematics, General Paper and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
However, male candidates still recorded higher numbers of top A grades in Mathematics and science subjects, reflecting persistent gender disparities in enrolment in STEM disciplines.
Education officials say female participation in science subjects is gradually increasing but remains below male representation.
Performance of special groups
The 2025 examinations also included 540 candidates under Special Needs Education (SNE) programmes.
Their performance was described as commendable, with the majority achieving either Principal or Subsidiary passes.
In addition, 70 inmates from the Luzira Upper Prison registered for the exams, with 68 sitting the papers.
More than 90% of the inmates qualified for the UACE certificate, highlighting the role of education in rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Low cases of examination malpractice
UNEB reported 351 cases of examination malpractice, representing 0.2% of all candidates, across 47 examination centres.
Investigations into the cases are ongoing, and results for the affected candidates will remain withheld until the review process is completed.
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The board said schools can download results from official examination centre portals, while candidates and parents can also access individual results via SMS through MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda by sending “UACE” followed by the candidate’s index number to 6600.
Hard copies of the results will be available at UNEB offices in Kyambogo next week.
Challenges remain in learning outcomes
Despite the improved performance, UNEB noted persistent learning challenges in both science and humanities subjects.
Students continue to struggle with:
- Applying theoretical knowledge to practical situations in science subjects
- Analytical and evaluative skills in humanities
- Relating classroom learning to real-life scenarios
Education stakeholders have been urged to strengthen career guidance, university placement programmes and teacher support systems to help students transition successfully into higher education and the labour market.
