The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the results of the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, revealing a strong overall performance despite the challenges posed by the dual curriculum system.
General Performance
According to UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, a total of 10,141 candidates from 1,028 examination centres registered for the UCE Transitional Examination.
Of these, 9,742 (96.1%) sat for the exams while 399 candidates did not attend. Among those examined, 4,369 (43.1%) were male and 5,373 (52.9%) were female.
The results indicate that 80 candidates (0.8%) achieved the top Division 1, while 503 (5.2%) secured Division 2. A significant portion of the candidates, 1,710 (17.6%), attained Division 3, and 5,820 (59.7%) achieved Division 4. A further 1,629 (16.7%) did not achieve a passing division (ungraded).
The overall results show that 350,146 (98.05%) of the candidates who sat qualified for the UCE certificate by achieving a competency level at least Grade D in any one subject. This will be indicated on the Result Transcript and Certificate as Result 1.
Key Performance Highlights
Overall Pass Rate: The majority of candidates secured a passing grade (Divisions 1-4), with Division 4 accounting for the highest proportion (59.7%).
Gender Performance Trends: The analysis compared male and female candidates’ results, with notable differences in subject performance. Female candidates performed better in the English Language, Christian Religious Education, and Art & Design. However, in subjects like History, Political Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, Chemistry, and Biology, fewer female candidates reached exceptional and outstanding levels compared to males.
Impact of the Dual Curriculum: 2024 marked a transition year, with some students sitting for the UCE under the new Lower Secondary Curriculum. UNEB acknowledged the complexities of managing two distinct examination systems simultaneously.
Subject-Specific Performance
Among large-entry subjects, notable achievements were observed in:
Art & Design: 13.0% of candidates attained top grades (A), with an overall performance rate of 98.0%.
History & Political Education: 6.4% of candidates scored grade A, and 98.8% attained a passing mark.
Agriculture: 4.7% secured grade A, with a 99.7% overall pass rate.
Mathematics: 3.8% scored grade A, but performance varied widely across divisions.
Subjects with a high proportion of candidates scoring below basic competency included:
Physics: 12.8% of candidates failed to meet the minimum competency level.
Chemistry: 6.1% of candidates did not achieve a passing grade.
English Language: 3.6% of candidates performed below the expected standard.
Candidates, parents, and well-wishers can access the results via SMS by sending a message to 6600. To retrieve results, individuals should type “UCE “, leave a space, and then enter the full index number.
Special Instructions for SMS Access:
Transitional Curriculum Candidates: Index numbers end with “T” (e.g., U0000/001T). Include the “T” in the SMS.
New Curriculum Candidates: Use the standard index number format (e.g., Uo000/001).