The Minister of Education and Sports Maama Jannet Kataha Museveni has rallied the education sector stakeholders to further harness to expedite the National industrial development ambitions folloing the release of the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examination results that has shown rise in entries for Sciences and Mathematics subjects.
The 2025 UACE Examination Results report further highlights the increase in number of candidates who qualified for University placements by 21,000 more compared to 2024.
The Minister Kataha Museveni has assured candidates of sufficient places in tertiary institutions, both public and private, to absorb these learners.
Mrs Museveni rallied learners and the young people at large to appreciate the opportunities available in technical and vocational institutions adding that products of these institutions are readily taken up by industries or are able to create jobs by themselves and she has encouraged them to consider that career path due to its visible rewards.
While speaking during the release of the 2025 UACE Examination Results at State House Nakasero today, the Ministry of Education and Sports reported a steady increase in the number of girls taking on science subjects with remarkable performance as observed form last year’s Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examination results.
Mrs explained that the landmark performance demonstrates that there is nothing mysterious about Mathematics and Sciences and thereby encouraged stakeholders in the education sector to intentionally step up to their role to motivate learners towards the uptake of science subjects.
She noted that Education must not be about acquisition of knowledge per se, but about how knowledge aida creativity, production and able to find solutions to problems in communities and country at large.
The Ministry of Education and Sports says it has embarked on a fundamental review of the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education curriculum after observing exciting changes in behavior learners from the new UCE Lower Secondary Competency-Based curriculum to remove excess and unnecessary content and duplication of information across subject areas.
Mrs Museveni confirmed that the review process is led by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) and the intention is to have an aligned curriculum being implemented, where excess and unnecessary content has been removed and duplication of information across subject areas has also been addressed.
The first lady adds that the teaching approaches have been aligned to the approaches at UCE, so as to provide a smooth transition from the UCE and the NCDC will now move steadily ahead to complete the reform of the UACE curriculum.
The First Lady encouraged learners who may not be satisfied with their results, to use the opportunity available to try again or to consider other education pathways.
While speaking at the same function, the Executive Director of Uganda National Examinations Board Dan Odong gave the analytical statistical context of the 2025 UACE Examination Results and notes that 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 which is 17.2% and out of those 72,764, representing 43.7% were females and 93,636, representing 56.3% were males.
He said that UACE candidacy for Prisons inmates amounted to 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.
Odong elaborated the overall improvement in performance in 2025 compared to 2024 in terms of the number of Principal level passes and high percentage of 98.9% qualify for the UACE certificate. Under the current regulations, a candidate requires a Subsidiary level pass in a Principal level subject to qualify.
He said that. 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%) qualify to be admitted, compared to 92,273 (65.5%)Â in 2024.Â
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%) candidates will qualify.
Odong said that apart from Physics, entries for the other Science subjects and Mathematics have been steadily increasing over the years and said that board will withhold queried UACE results, pending completion of investigations. Cases were reported from 47 centres out of the 2,452 centres; involving 351 which is 0.2% of the total candidates.
Odong added that cases of examination malpractice are mostly in receiving assistance in Science Practical papers, being in possession of unauthorized materials and impersonation adding that the Board is also proceeding with the hearing of PLE cases, and will then start on UCE cases from 16th March, 2026.
The UNEB Board Chairperson Celestino Obua observes that While statistical fluctuations may arise as the candidate population widens, the integrity of grading standards has been maintained and added that the proportion of candidates who registered but did not sit for the examination has continued to decline, signaling improved completion rates and strengthened supervision at school level and the continuous sustained growth in candidature at the UACE level, reflects expanded access to post-O’ Level education and growing public confidence in the credibility of national assessment.
Prof Obua addressed several other aspects of UACE results and announced efforts to engage with district education authorities to penalize schools netted in Examination malpractices
The Ministry of education and sports has released the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education -UACE Examination Results for the 166,400 candidates
The statement of release for the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education -UACE Examination Results indicates an increase in student completion rate with a gradual decrease in drop-out rates.
