2025 PLE results released

The Uganda National Examinations Board has released the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination results, showing a rise in the number of candidates and a slight improvement at the top performance level.

UNEB registered 817,883 candidates from 15,388 centres, up from 797,444 in 2024. Of these, 522,036 candidates from 11,525 centres were under Universal Primary Education, while 295,847 from 3,863 centres were private or non-UPE candidates.

UNEB executive director Dan Odongo said boys performed better than girls and recorded a lower failure rate. He noted that examiners praised the quality of the papers, saying they reflected the shift to competency-based learning and tested how learners apply knowledge and skills.

He, however, said some teachers, especially in Social Studies and Religious Education, have not fully adjusted to the new approach. Many candidates struggled with questions that required practical application of knowledge in their communities and the country. This contributed to weaker performance in those subjects compared to 2024.

Odongo also warned that last-minute materials from informal “examination bureaus” misled candidates and hurt their preparation.

UNEB chairperson Celestino Obua said candidature keeps rising while absenteeism has remained at 1.3 percent for two years. He said any child who drops out remains a concern. He added that more learners achieved Grade One and more qualified to move to the next level than in 2024.

He expressed confidence that the learners who passed will get places in secondary and vocational schools as government expands access. He also said UNEB will continue analysing exam items every year to track learner proficiency under the competency-based curriculum.

Obua said findings show teachers need more training to interpret the curriculum and adjust their teaching. UNEB has already supported teachers in two low-performing local governments and plans to continue if funds allow.