UCE: UNEB Deploys 1,595 Security Officers to Curb Exam Malpractice

Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has warned all schools and candidates against malpractice ahead Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Examinations which will officially start on Friday October 14, 2022 with the briefing of candidates.

Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Center on Thursday, Dan N Odongo, the UNEB Executive Secretary, said during the Friday students’ briefing session, candidates must be made aware of the instructions contained in the timetable and the Rules and Regulations on examination conduct.

Odongo noted that head teachers must explain clearly to the candidates the consequences of their not adhering to these rules and regulations, and of cheating in the examination.

He revealed that UNEB found out that cases of irregularities and malpractice by candidates quite often arise from candidates receiving inadequate or no briefing at all.

He revealed that the Board is partnering with various security agencies as well as contracted professionals and Heads of Centres in the conduct of this examination.

“The Board will deploy 1,595 security officers, 1,611 scouts and 22,214 supervisors and invigilators. While high levels of integrity are expected from those we are working with, UNEB strongly warns against involvement in any form of examination malpractice. Anyone found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the UNEB Act 2021, which will be in force from this examination onwards; and the penalties are quite stiff,”

Section 25(1) provides that any person who gains or attempts to gain possession of any examination paper, or any part of an examination paper, examination material, or any other material or information which purports to relate to the contents of an examination paper, commits an offence and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two thousand currency points or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both.

Subsection 2 of the same section provides that any person who, wilfully or negligently assists, or causes any candidate to obtain, or gain unauthorised possession of an examination paper, material or information or any part of an examination paper, commits an offence, and on conviction, will be liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand currency points or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or both.

In both cases, this penalty will apply, whether the examination paper, examination material, or information is genuine or not.

Candidates will start writing their examination on Monday October 17, 2022, starting with Mathematics 1 in the morning and Mathematics 2 in the afternoon.

Registration

A total of 349,445 candidates were registered and are scheduled to sit the examination from 3703 Examination Centres.

Of these, 175,923 (50.3%) of the candidates are males, while 173,522 (49.7%) are females. A total of 114,200 (32.7%) of the candidates are funded under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) Programme, while 235,245 (77.3%) candidates are Non-USE.

Fifty one candidates who are inmates in Luzira Upper Prison will also write their examination from the Prison. Five hundred nineteen (519) of the candidates are Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates.

Odongo noted that access arrangements have been made for these SNE learners to receive the necessary support in accordance with their needs.

“UNEB will avail braille answer sheets for the blind, large print question papers for those with low vision, while the deaf will receive sign language interpreters,” he said.