The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the timetables for the 2026 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), with candidate numbers rising by 14.9% compared to last year.
UNEB said it has provisionally registered 1,627,885 candidates for the three examination sets, an increase of 211,437 candidates from the 1,416,448 registered in 2025.
Of the total candidature, 52% are female and 48% male, while 52% are sponsored by Government under the Universal Education programmes for primary and secondary education.
The Board said 6,090 candidates are learners with Special Needs Education (SNE).
The 2026 examination cycle will begin on October 8 with briefing of UCE candidates, followed by PLE candidate briefing on October 30. UACE candidate briefing will take place on November 6, according to the released timetables.
PLE candidature has increased from 818,885 in 2025 to 920,796 this year, representing a 12.4% rise.
At UCE level, candidature has risen from 432,163 to 503,214, an increase of 16.4%, while UACE recorded the largest increase, rising from 166,400 to 203,875 candidates, representing 22.5%.
UNEB attributed the increase generally to higher completion rates, with more learners remaining in school and progressing to the next level.
The Board also noted a particularly sharp increase in candidature for traditional science subjects at UACE.
CBC cohorts face new assessment arrangements
The 2026 UCE candidates will be the third cohort assessed under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at lower secondary level.
The UACE candidates were among the pioneer cohorts to study under the CBC at lower secondary level and will therefore be assessed using a curriculum aligned with the new curriculum and its corresponding assessment approaches.
The examinations will be conducted under the theme “Advancing Excellence in Assessment and Certification through Secure, Credible, Inclusive and Innovative Processes.”
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the theme reflects the Board’s emphasis on examination security, credibility, inclusion and innovation.
“The theme is UNEB’s undertaking to continually extend the boundaries of quality in its assessment processes leading to the award of its certificates,” Odongo said.
He said security throughout the assessment process remained a priority because stakeholders need to have confidence in the credibility of the examinations.
“The process must be inclusive, offering accommodations in examination papers and such other considerations that are designed to mitigate the effects of their disabilities,” he said.
Odongo added that the theme also reflects UNEB’s intention to embrace new approaches to assessment and certification.
Candidates asked to verify registration details
UNEB said schools will continue displaying candidates’ registers until October 7, as required under the UNEB Act.
The display allows candidates to verify their registration status and check the accuracy of their personal and examination details.
Candidates have been advised to check the spelling and order of their names, date of birth, gender, photograph quality, and the subjects and papers registered for at UCE and UACE.
After verification, candidates are required to sign a parallel register confirming that their registration information is correct.
Odongo said schools should immediately notify UNEB of any anomalies, including cases where candidates paid registration fees within the stipulated deadlines but were not registered.
Heads of examination centres have also been instructed to cross-check registration data before signing and stamping the registers.
The timetables are available to heads of centres through school portals, while hard copies have been supplied alongside examination stationery.
UNEB said schools should ensure that every candidate receives a copy and that the timetables are displayed on school noticeboards.
Braille versions of the UCE and UACE timetables have also been provided for visually impaired SNE candidates.
UNEB warns against abuse of SNE provisions
The Board has also cautioned schools against falsely declaring candidates as having special educational needs to obtain additional examination support.
Odongo said UNEB had identified cases, particularly in primary schools, where some head teachers allegedly reported non-existent disabilities or inaccurately classified candidates as having conditions such as dyslexia and low vision.
He said such misreporting was sometimes intended to secure additional time or a transcriber for candidates.
“This gives the candidate an unfair advantage over the others,” Odongo said.
He also warned against the misuse of sign language interpreters, saying interpreters had in some cases been asked to interpret examination questions.
“We therefore caution on Heads of Centers to desist from this habit,” he said.
UNEB said the alleged misreporting had also contributed to an increase in the number of SNE candidates and the personnel required to support them during examinations.
Candidates warned against indiscipline
The Board also warned candidates against indiscipline during the examination period.
“Being a candidate does not put you over and above the school rules and regulations,” Odongo said.
“UNEB does not condone indiscipline and will not in any way support candidates who may be suspended or dismissed due to involvement in acts of indiscipline.”
He also called on parents to provide guidance to candidates during the examination period.
Meanwhile, UNEB said it was conducting a final verification of schools and examination centres that registered candidates in 2025 but have not presented candidates this year.
The Board said a list of such schools and centres will be published in print and electronic media by September 30 to enable parents and guardians to verify the information.
The 2026 examinations will therefore mark another major stage in Uganda’s transition to competency-based assessment, with more than 1.6 million candidates expected to participate across the three national examination levels.