Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the 2024 Primary Leaving (PLE) examination results, noting a better overall performance of candidates compared to 2023.
According to UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, a total of 797,444 candidates from 14.883 centres (schools) registered for PLE in 2024 compared to 749,347 in 2023.
“Of this number, 524,025 (65.7%) from 11,451 centres were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries while 273,419 (34.3%) of the candidates from 3,432 centres were Non-UPE,” said Odongo during the Thursday, January 23, 2025, release held at State House, Nakasero in Kampala presided over by First Lady and Education Minister, Hon Janet Kataaha Museveni.
“In 2024, analysis by gender shows that 378,709 (47.5%) boys were registered compared to 418,750 (52.5%) girls, indicating that more girls than boys completed the Primary Education cycle. This has been the trend in recent years,” he added.
Overall Performance
Odongo said a higher proportion of the 2024 candidates passed in Division 2 and above level. Overall, the performance of candidates is better than that of 2023.
“A higher proportion of the candidates passed 732,053 (91.8%) compared to 2023 (88.0%). There is a drop in the number of candidates obtaining Division 1,” explained Odongo.
At the Uganda Government Upper Prison, Luzira, the board registered 71 candidates (70 males and 1 female) as compared to the 69 registered in 2023. Of the 71 candidates who registered, 59 candidates sat, 4 passed in Division 1, 36 obtained Division 2, 13 obtained Division 3.
The board also registered 37 candidates from Mbarara Main Prison (all males). Of those, 4 obtained Division 1; 20 are in Division 2, 10 are in Division 3 while three are in Division 4. None were ungraded. All candidates were male.
Results will be uploaded on the examination centre Portals. Each school can, therefore, download their results as soon as they are officially released.
a) PLE Registration Figures for the last five years in Uganda
- Overall Increase in Candidature: The total number of candidates has been steadily increasing over the past five years. This indicates a growing number of children accessing primary education.
- UPE vs. Non-UPE: The number of candidates under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) scheme is significantly higher than those outside the scheme. This highlights the impact of UPE in expanding access to education.
- Gender Disparity: While the number of girls completing primary education has been increasing, there’s still a slight disparity favoring boys. However, the percentage of girls has been consistently higher than boys in recent years.
- Special Needs Candidates: The number of candidates with special needs (SNE) is increasing annually, reflecting growing awareness and inclusion efforts.
- Prison Inmates: The opportunity for prison inmates to acquire education is expanding, which is a positive development.
Specific Points from the Data:
- 2024 vs. 2023: Candidature increased by 48,190 (6.4%) in 2024 compared to the previous year.
- Gender Breakdown (2024): 47.5% boys and 52.5% girls registered.
- Special Needs Candidates (2024): 3,328 registered (25.5% increase from 2023).
- Prison Inmates (2024): 71 candidates from Luzira and 37 from Mbarara Main Prison.
b) Overall performance by grades (Distinction, Credit, and Pass)
- Overall Performance: Candidates performed better in Social Studies & Religious Studies (S.S.R.S), Integrated Science, and Mathematics in both years.
- English Performance Dip: There was a noticeable drop in English performance in 2024 compared to 2023.
- Distinction Scores: Distinction scores decreased across all subjects in 2024, indicating that candidates faced difficulties with questions requiring higher-level thinking and application skills.
- Aggregate Range: The highest aggregate score is 4, and the lowest is 36.
Specific Points from the Data:
- S.S.R.S (2024): 7.9% of candidates scored Distinction, 75.6% scored Credit, and 91.9% scored Pass.
- S.S.R.S (2023): 9.4% Distinction, 70.4% Credit, and 88.0% Pass.
- Science (2024): 6.4% Distinction, 73.8% Credit, and 93.4% Pass.
- Science (2023): 9.8% Distinction, 70.0% Credit, and 91.0% Pass.
- Mathematics (2024): 7.4% Distinction, 62.7% Credit, and 89.4% Pass.
- Mathematics (2023): 5.3% Distinction, 52.6% Credit, and 85.3% Pass.
c) Overall performance by gender
- Higher Pass Rate: Overall, the performance of candidates in 2024 was better than in 2023, with a higher proportion of candidates passing (91.8% vs. 88.0%).
- Drop in Division 1: There was a decrease in the number of candidates obtaining Division 1 in 2024.
- Gender Performance: Proportionally, males performed slightly better than females, with a lower failure rate.
- Female Representation: In terms of numbers, more females were present in Division 2 and lower divisions due to a higher number of female candidates taking the exam.
Specific Points from the Data:
- Male Performance: 12.09% of male candidates achieved Division 1, 51.50% achieved Division 2, 19.25% achieved Division 3, 9.64% achieved Division 4, and 7.52% were ungraded.
- Female Performance: 9.46% of female candidates achieved Division 1, 49.63% achieved Division 2, 22.59% achieved Division 3, 9.56% achieved Division 4, and 8.75% were ungraded.
