Male candidates who sat for the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) have performed better than their female counterparts for the third year in a row.
The results released today, January 23, 2025, by Minister for Education and Sports Janet Museveni, showed that a total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 centers were registered for the exams, reflecting a 6.4% increase compared to the 749,347 candidates in 2023.
Among these, 65.7% were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program. Interestingly, more girls (52.5%) registered than boys (47.5%) for the 2024 exams.
The results showed an improvement in overall performance, with 91.8% of candidates passing, up from 88.0% in 2023.
However, boys outperformed girls by a margin, with 12% of male candidates securing Division One, compared to just 9.4% of female candidates.
This year’s performance highlights a distinct trend in subject-specific achievements, with boys performing better in subjects such as social studies and religious studies, integrated science, and mathematics. On the other hand, girls excelled in English, marking a notable area of strength in their performance.
On the downside, over 64,000 students will not be advancing to the secondary level after failing to meet the required points.
Janet Museveni encouraged these students to consider retaking the PLE to improve their results.
She also cautioned both students and parents to remain vigilant against the ongoing Mpox disease, urging schools to adhere to Ministry of Health guidelines.
The UNEB Executive Director, however, said there is a worrying trend noticed in a few schools that are registering perfectly normal pupils to be recognized as special needs candidates.
“They are hiding under the category of others: pupils that suffer from health conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, and sickle cell anemia. The board recognizes that such candidates may get attacks during the examination period,” Odongo said.
“However, those candidates do not require any specialized assistance, except for the extra time of 45 minutes allowed to them. The errant schools have been found to select their good pupils to benefit from the extra time.”
The exam was not without its challenges, as candidates struggled with higher-level questions, especially those requiring practical application of concepts in subjects like Mathematics and Science.
Examination malpractice was detected in several centers, with four centers implicated in offenses such as early access to question papers and assisting candidates during the exams.
A total of 68 suspects were arrested, and 12 have already been convicted. UNEB assured that results for those involved in malpractice are being withheld pending investigations and emphasized the importance of upholding the UNEB Act to deter future violations.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has committed to a thorough investigation of all malpractice cases, ensuring fair hearings for the affected candidates while upholding the integrity of the examination process.
