The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, reporting improved performance at the top grade level and a steady rate of absenteeism despite logistical and financial challenges during the examination period.
The results were officially released on Friday, January 30, 2026, following the successful conduct of the national examinations on November 3 and 4, 2025. UNEB Chairperson Prof. Celestino Obua said the exercise was carried out in line with the Board’s statutory mandate under the UNEB Act.
Prof. Obua noted that the examinations were administered during the rainy season, which disrupted road networks in several districts and increased the cost of field operations. He credited district education officials and field staff for ensuring that examination materials reached centres in hard-to-access areas.
“The Board is blessed with exceptionally dedicated education officials in the districts who worked tirelessly to ensure the examination was conducted successfully despite damaged roads and difficult weather conditions,” Prof. Obua said.
He revealed that candidature continues to rise, while absenteeism has remained stable at 1.3 percent over the last two years. However, he said any level of absenteeism remains a concern and urged the Ministry of Education and Sports to address the underlying causes of learner drop-out.
According to the results, performance at Grade One pass level improved compared to 2024, with more candidates qualifying to proceed to post-primary education. Prof. Obua expressed confidence that government efforts to expand access to secondary and vocational education would absorb all 730,000 candidates who passed.
“For the second year running, the Board conducted an item analysis of all four examination papers to establish learner proficiency levels, in line with the shift towards a Competency-Based Curriculum,” he said.
The analysis, he added, shows that teachers require additional capacity building to effectively interpret the curriculum and adapt teaching approaches. UNEB has already supported selected teachers in two local governments that recorded the lowest performance, an intervention Prof. Obua said should be expanded if funding allows.
On examination malpractice, Prof. Obua warned of rising desperation among some school directors and head teachers seeking high aggregate scores. He revealed that investigations uncovered a network centred on a private school in Kassanda District, where exam papers were illegally accessed and shared via WhatsApp.
“So far, eight people have been convicted and sentenced, others are on bail, and five are on remand. Our security team, with support from other agencies, is determined to bring all those involved to book,” he said.
Prof. Obua described examination malpractice as a serious threat to the integrity of Uganda’s education system and called for deterrent sentences under the UNEB Act.
He also renewed UNEB’s proposal to reform PLE result reporting by eliminating aggregates, arguing that the current system fuels unhealthy competition among schools.
In his remarks, Prof. Obua appealed for increased government funding to support examination administration, citing rising operational costs due to weather and infrastructure challenges. He congratulated candidates who passed and encouraged those who did not achieve their expected grades to explore alternative education pathways.
The release of the 2025 PLE results marks another milestone in Uganda’s national assessment cycle as the country continues its transition towards competency-based learning and assessment.
