Grade One Passes Rise as UNEB Releases 2025 PLE Results, Warns on Malpractice

Kampala — The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has announced an improvement in Grade One passes in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), with more candidates qualifying to proceed to the next level of education compared to 2024.

Releasing the results at State House, Nakasero, UNEB Chairperson Prof. Celestino Obua said the improved performance reflects gradual gains under the country’s education reforms, particularly at the top performance level.

“Performance at the Grade One pass level has improved compared to the 2024 examination. Overall, more candidates have qualified to proceed to the next level or cycle of education than was the case in 2024,” Prof. Obua said.

He expressed confidence that all the 730,000 learners who were graded and passed would secure placement in secondary schools and vocational institutions, citing the government’s continued expansion of post-primary education opportunities.

The improvement comes amid a steady rise in candidature. UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo reported that 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for the 2025 PLE, up from 797,444 candidates in 2024. Of these, 522,036 candidates (63.8 percent) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries.

Odongo said the examination, conducted on November 3 and 4, 2025, was administered under the theme “Embracing Security and Holistic Assessment of Learners in a Dynamic Environment,” which was retained from 2024 due to its continued relevance.

Examiners and curriculum specialists commended the overall quality of the examination papers, noting that they reflected the shift towards competency-based learning, with questions designed to test learners’ ability to apply knowledge and skills.

However, UNEB noted challenges in some subjects. According to Odongo, teachers in Social Studies and Religious Education have not fully adjusted their teaching approaches to align with the competency-based curriculum, contributing to a decline in performance in those subjects compared to 2024.

On gender performance, UNEB data showed that male candidates outperformed females in percentage terms and registered a lower failure rate.

Exam malpractice

Despite the improved Grade One passes, UNEB raised serious concern over examination malpractice, which Odongo said had become more brazen. “In some instances, scouts and invigilators were bribed or threatened with physical harm by school directors and headteachers to allow teachers to assist candidates directly within examination rooms,” Odongo said.

As a result, UNEB has withheld results of affected candidates in line with Section 5(2)(b) of the UNEB Act, pending investigations. Districts with most withheld cases include Kisoro, Kampala, Mukono, Namutumba, Kassanda, Buyende, and Kaliro.

Where a prima facie case is established, the affected candidates will be accorded a fair hearing by the UNEB Tribunal, also known as the Examinations Security Committee.

However, Odongo commended districts such as Kyenjojo, Kabarole, and Bundibugyo for improved examination integrity, noting that no malpractice cases were reported in Kyenjojo this year following firm administrative action taken in 2024.

UNEB also released results for special candidate groups, including prison inmates. At Uganda Government Upper Prison School in Luzira, four candidates attained Division One, while seven candidates at Mbarara Main Prison Inmates Primary School achieved the same grade.

Prof. Obua said that for the second consecutive year, UNEB conducted an item analysis of the four PLE papers to assess learner proficiency levels, an exercise that will now be carried out annually.

Findings from the analysis indicate that teachers require substantial capacity-building support to effectively interpret the curriculum and adapt teaching methods to competency-based assessment.

“Subject to the availability of funds, UNEB will continue to provide targeted support, particularly in areas with persistently low achievement, as a contribution to the Ministry’s broader interventions,” Prof. Obua said.

While welcoming the rise in Grade One passes, UNEB urged teachers, school administrators, and education officials to uphold professionalism and integrity to sustain and further improve learner outcomes.