The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Kataaha Museveni has today released the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results at State Lodge, Nakasero.
A total of 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for the 2025 PLE, compared to 797,444 candidates in 2024.
Of this total, 522,036 candidates (63.8%) from 11,525 centres were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 295,847 candidates (36.2%) from 3,863 centres were non-UPE candidates.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) Executive Director, Dan Odongo said the examination was administered under the theme: “Embracing Security and Holistic Assessment of Learners in a Dynamic Environment,” the same theme that was adopted in 2024.
“The issues that informed the development and use of this theme in 2024 remain relevant to the examination process in 2025,” he said.
He added that examination malpractice has taken on a more brazen and troubling form whereby in some instances, scouts and invigilators have reportedly been bribed or threatened with physical harm by school directors and headteachers to allow teachers to assist candidates directly within examination rooms.
“Honourable Minister, as earlier noted by the Chairperson, it is regrettable that some officers within District Education Offices, who should be key partners in safeguarding examination integrity, have become complicit in these and other unprofessional acts,” he said.
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the dedicated Security Team, which has worked tirelessly to investigate and manage cases of examination malpractice.”
In accordance with Section 5(2)(b) of the UNEB Act, Cap. 259, Mr. Odongo said the Board will withhold the results of affected candidates pending the completion of investigations.
“Where a prima facie case is established, the Board’s Tribunal, also known as the Examinations Security Committee, will accord all affected candidates a fair hearing before final decisions are made,” he noted.
“This year, most of the withheld cases have originated from the districts of Kisoro, Kampala, Mukono, Namutumba, Kassanda, Buyende, and Kaliro, among others. I would, however, like to commend the leadership of Kyenjojo, Kabarole, and Bundibugyo districts, where a notable improvement has been observed. In particular, due to firm action taken by the Chief Administrative Officer of Kyenjojo in 2024, no cases of examination malpractice have been reported from the district this year.”
The UNEB Chairperson, Prof. Celestino Obua revealed that the candidature has continued to rise, while absenteeism has remained steady at 1.3 percent over the last two years.
“However, as you rightly noted in your statement last year, any drop-out is a cause for concern. I trust that the Permanent Secretary and her team have since been able to establish some of the underlying causes, as was promised,” he said.
“Performance at the Grade One pass level has improved compared to the 2024 examination. Overall, more candidates have qualified to proceed to the next level or cycle of education than was the case in 2024. I have no doubt that, given the Government’s continued efforts to expand access to post-primary education, all the 730,000 learners who were graded and passed will secure placement in secondary and vocational institutions.”
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