Uganda National Examinations Board has released the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results, revealing a historic improvement in candidate performance, attendance, and overall efficiency in the conduct of national examinations.
The results, officially unveiled on 13th February, 2026 at State House Nakasero, show that 428,628 out of 429,949 candidates who sat the examinations representing 99.69 percent qualified for certificates, marking a significant improvement over the 2024 performance and signaling growing stability in Uganda’s lower secondary education cycle.
A total of 432,163 candidates registered for the 2025 UCE examinations across 3,975 centers nationwide, a 20.2% increase from 359,417 candidates in 2024.
Of those registered, 429,949 candidates (99.5%) sat the examinations, while only 2,214 (0.5 percent) were absent reflecting a sharp decline in absenteeism and stronger learner retention
Female candidates dominated the candidature at 52.7 percent (227,871), compared to 47.3% (204,292) male candidates, reflecting the continued progress in girls’ secondary education and school attendance.
Meanwhile, the proportion of candidates who did not qualify for certificates dropped significantly from 1.9 percent in 2024 to just 0.31 percent in 2025, a clear indicator of improved achievement levels.
Speaking at the official release of the examinations, Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, described the 2025 UCE results as a strong endorsement of Uganda’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), praising the reform’s steady progress and calling the performance a clear and encouraging sign of its success.
She noted that the results present a highly encouraging picture of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which has been progressively rolled out and is now fully implemented in lower secondary schools nationwide, blending academic learning with practical and vocational training to strengthen skills development alongside theoretical knowledge.
“The CBC is shaping learners into innovative thinkers and practical problem-solvers who are better prepared to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development,” the Education Minister said.
The Minister added that the reform is designed to nurture research competence, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities that align with Uganda’s broader socio-economic transformation goals.
UNEB Chairperson Celestino Obua commended the government’s vision, saying the results validate the new curriculum’s direction.
“The results confirm that the CBC is a strong, transformative curriculum, well-positioned to produce the type of Ugandans needed to drive the country’s socio-economic transformation,” Prof. Obua stated.
He added that learners trained under the CBC demonstrate stronger independent research skills and greater creativity and innovation.
According to UNEB, results have been uploaded to examination center portals for schools to download. Hard copies are not yet available, but schools will be notified when they are ready for collection from UNEB offices in Kyambogo.
