PLE Results: UNEB set to end ‘Aggregate’ grading system amid skyrocketing exam cheating

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has renewed plans to abolish the long-standing aggregate grading system for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), citing its growing role in fuelling exam malpractice across the country. 

Speaking at the official release of the 2025 PLE results, UNEB Board Chair Celestine Obua said the board was determined to reintroduce proposals first tabled in 2021 to reform how PLE results are graded and reported.

Obua directly appealed to the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon Janet Museveni, to allow UNEB to proceed with the proposed changes, noting that the earlier plan had been deferred due to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

He argued that the aggregates system has become a “gold standard” by which parents rank schools, creating unhealthy competition and desperation among some school administrators to produce candidates with Aggregate 4 at any cost.

Obua, in his remarks revealed a worrying escalation in examination malpractices. 

He said investigations had uncovered sophisticated schemes involving head teachers, school directors, compromised scouts and, in some cases, district education officials. 

“The board has witnessed an increase in the level of desperation on the part of school directors and head teachers,” he said.

“When exams distributors deliver the question paper envelopes to the centers, the head teachers working with corrupt and compromised scouts cut open the envelopes and access papers for the purpose of assisting the candidates before or during the exams. Evidence gathered indicates that some district education officials are becoming complicit in this.”

The board’s security team traced the epicentre of the malpractice to a private school in Kassanda District. 

Arrests followed, including a district inspector of schools, a school director, head teacher and invigilators who were intercepted in Nansana, Kampala. The investigation further exposed networks of schools sharing examination materials through WhatsApp groups.

So far, eight people have been convicted and sentenced by the courts, while others remain on bail and five suspects are on remand. UNEB says more suspects are still on the run, with security teams actively pursuing them. 

Obua expressed hope that courts would impose deterrent sentences in line with the UNEB Act.

He maintained that changing the PLE grading system is now essential, not only to curb cheating, but also to restore integrity to national examinations and ensure assessment focuses on learning outcomes rather than raw aggregates.

Against this backdrop, UNEB announced that the 2025 PLE examinations were conducted on 3rd and 4th November 2025, with candidature continuing to rise while absenteeism remained stable at 1.3 per cent. 

Obua reported improved performance at Grade One pass level compared with the 2024 examinations, with more candidates qualifying to proceed to the next level of education.

He expressed confidence that nearly 730,000 pupils who were graded or passed would find places in secondary schools and vocational institutions, pointing to sustained government investment in expanding access to post-primary education.