Over 113,000 candidates qualify for university education, according to UACE 2025 results released by assessment body Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb). Here is a look at how UACE 2025 performance, according to Uneb executive director Dan Odongo:
Total Candidature
A total of 166,400 candidates registered for the 2025 UACE examination compared to 141,996 candidates in 2024; an increase of 24,404 candidates (17.2 per cent). Of these, 72,764 (43.7 per cent) were females and 93,636 (56.3 per cent) were males.
Centres for the UACE examination increased by 197 (8.7 per cent) from 2,255 in 2024 to 2,452 in 2025. Candidates who appeared for the examination were 165,172 compared to 140,884, in 2024, an increase of 24,288 candidates (17.2 per cent). Of these, 72,374 (43.8 per cent) were females and 92,798 (56.2 per cent) were males. At this level, the number of female candidates has consistently been significantly lower than that of the males.
The number of candidates registered under the UPOLET programme was 42,327.
This is 25.4 per cent of the total candidature compared to 35,652 (25.1 per cent) in 2024. Male candidates registered under the UPOLET programme were 26,247 (15.8 per cent of the total candidature), while females were 15,733 (9.5 per cent of the total candidature).
In the post-COVID period, the rate of increase in candidature sitting the exam has been quite rapid, from 96,557 to 165,172; a 71.0 percent increase. One thousand two hundred twenty-eight [1,228 (0.7 per cent)] candidates did not sit for the examination compared to 1,108 (0.8 per cent) in 2024. The rate of absenteeism has continued to decline.
The number of candidates who have sat is less than 50 percent of those who sat UCE two years earlier. However, there are several other post-UCE pathways available to them.
Registration of Special Interest Groups
Special Needs Candidates
A total of 540 Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates (274 males and 266 females) registered for the 2025 UACE examination as compared to 437 (249 males and 188 females) in 2024.
Prison Inmates
The Board also registered 70 candidates from Uganda Government Upper Prison, Luzira (66 males and 4 females) compared to 49 (46 males and 3 females) in 2024. Sixty-eight of the candidates (64 males and 4 females) sat the examination.
UACE 2025 performance (general)
A high percentage of 98.9 per cent qualify for the UACE certificate. Under the current regulations, a candidate requires a Subsidiary level pass in a Principal level subject to qualify.
University admissions to degree courses have, up to date, been considering two Principal level passes as the minimum requirement. If this consideration is maintained, 113,291 (68.6 per cent) qualify to be admitted, compared to 92,273 (65.5 per cent) in 2024. This is consistent with the fact that there was a significant increase in entries for the examination in 2025. An extra 21,018 university places should be available to absorb these.
In cases where one Principal and two Subsidiary pass levels are considered for admission to other tertiary institutions, for example TVET institutions offering diploma level programmes, 145,129 (87.9 per cent) candidates will qualify.
Male and Female Performance Compared
Proportionally, female candidates have performed better than their male counterparts. The percentage passes at the upper levels (3P and 2P) are higher, while percentage passes at the lower levels and failure rate among female candidates are lower than for the males.
Performance in Large Entry Subjects Compared
At the Principal pass level (A – E), there are improvements in Economics, Geography, Literature in English, Mathematics, Agriculture, Chemistry and Biology.
Proportionally, female candidates performed better than their male counterparts at the principal level pass (A-E) in most of the Humanities subjects, Mathematics, Physics, General Paper, Subsidiary Mathematics and Subsidiary ICT. However, at the top level of A passes, the males scored better than the females in Mathematics and Sciences.
Female entries for the Sciences and Mathematics are lower than for the males, consistent with the fact that overall female entry is lower than that of the males.
Prison Inmates
The majority of the candidates (94.1 per cent) were males. Thirty-one candidates (45.6 per cent) obtained 3 Principal pass levels, 66 (62 males and 4 females) qualified for the UACE certificate while two did not qualify (all were male). Only two candidates (all male) did not sit for the examination.
You can see the list of best performing A-level schools in previous UACE sittings Here and There.
Also read about new proposed A-level (UACE) grading system Here.
