Males Outperform Females as PLE Candidature Hits 817,883 — UNEB

Kampala — Male candidates performed better than their female counterparts in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), recording a lower failure rate, according to results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) at State House, Nakasero.

Presenting the results to the Minister of Education and Sports, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the performance trends were clearly reflected in both statistical tables and graphical analysis. “In terms of percentages, males performed better than females and recorded a lower failure rate,” Odongo said.

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

“The issues that informed the development and use of this theme in 2024 remain relevant to the examination process in 2025,” Odongo noted.

According to UNEB, a total of 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for the examination, an increase from 797,444 candidates in 2024. Of these, 522,036 candidates (63.8 percent) from 11,525 centres were beneficiaries of Universal Primary Education (UPE), while 295,847 candidates (36.2 percent) from 3,863 centres were non-UPE learners.

UNEB reported that examiners and curriculum specialists commended the overall quality of the examination papers, particularly their alignment with the country’s shift towards competency-based learning.

“The papers clearly reflected the paradigm shift towards competency-based learning, with questions designed to assess learners’ ability to apply knowledge and skills,” Odongo said.

However, he observed that some teachers, especially in Social Studies and Religious Education, have not fully adapted their teaching methods to this new approach.

“Many candidates experienced difficulty responding to questions that required the application of knowledge, particularly in relation to their communities and the country at large. This partly explains the decline in performance in these subjects compared to 2024,” he explained.

Odongo also warned against last-minute materials circulated by unregulated examination bureaus. “Such materials were misleading and adversely affected candidates’ preparedness and performance,” he said.

Prison Inmates

At Uganda Government Upper Prison School, Luzira, a total of 61 candidates were registered in 2025, compared to 71 candidates in 2024. Of the 61 registered candidates, 58 sat for the examination, while 3 were absent. Performance results show that 4 candidates obtained Division 1, 27 attained Division 2, 13 attained Division 3, 5 attained Division 4, and 9 candidates were ungraded.

At Mbarara Main Prison Inmates Primary School, 40 candidates were registered. Of these, 39 candidates sat the examination, while one candidate was absent. The results indicate that 7 candidates obtained Division 1, 15 attained Division 2, 10 attained Division 3, 5 attained Division 4, and 2 candidates were ungraded.

Rise in Candidature 

Meanwhile, UNEB Chairperson Prof. Celestino Obua reported that candidature has continued to rise while absenteeism has remained stable at 1.3 percent over the last two years. “Any drop-out is a cause for concern,” Prof. Obua said, adding that efforts were underway to establish the underlying causes.

Prof. Obua further revealed that performance at the Grade One pass level had improved compared to 2024, with more learners qualifying to proceed to the next level of education. “Overall, more candidates have qualified to proceed to the next cycle of education than was the case in 2024,” he said.

He expressed confidence that all 730,000 candidates who passed would secure placement in secondary schools and vocational institutions, citing government efforts to expand access to post-primary education.

For the second consecutive year, UNEB conducted an item analysis of the four PLE papers to assess learner proficiency levels.

“This initiative aligns well with the country’s paradigm shift towards a Competency-Based Curriculum and assessment. The analysis will now be conducted and reported annually,” Prof. Obua said.

The analysis, he added, showed that teachers require significant capacity-building support to effectively interpret the curriculum and adjust their teaching approaches.

“Over the last two years, the Board identified two local governments with the lowest levels of achievement and provided targeted capacity-building support to selected teachers,” he said, noting that the intervention would continue subject to the availability of funds.

Collection of results

Results for each examination centre will be uploaded to the Centre Portal and may be downloaded immediately upon official release. In addition, District, Municipal, and City Inspectors of Schools may collect hard copies of the results from the UNEB offices at Ntinda starting Monday, 2nd February 2026.

Parents, candidates, and other interested parties may also access results through the Short Messaging Service (SMS) available on MTN and Airtel mobile networks. Once the correct procedure is followed, candidates’ results will be sent instantly to their mobile phones.