The executive secretary of Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), Dr.Dan Odongo, has confirmed that over 100,000 students are scheduled to sit exams for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
The exams that start Monday next week will candidates start with History and Mathematics. 1,982 centres were considered in 2019 compared to 1,815 centres in 2018. Candidature has increased by 4.8 per cent from 99,672 in 2018 to 104,481.
“This has now reversed the trend we have been observing of candidature at this level decreasing over the last three years. Whereas at the PLE and UCE levels we observed that the number of female candidates were higher, at UACE, the gap is quite wide with the boys making up 58.2 percent. The majority of the candidates at this level (81.5 percent) are non UPOLET (private) and 191 of these are SNE candidates,” he said.
He said distribution of examination materials under adequate police escort will commence on Saturday 9th November, 2019 to ensure that all areas are reached in time.
“The Board will continue with the security arrangements put in place to ensure a smooth conduct of the examination. Slightly over 800 scouts and an unspecified number of security officers will be deployed to ensure a smooth conduct of the examination. I continue to appeal to heads of centres, teachers, invigilators to be professional and desist from the criminal activity of examination malpractice,” he said.
He lauded everyone, including members of the press, who played various roles in ensuring a smooth conduct of the UCE, (still on-going) and the PLE.
“I want to thank especially the education officials and district monitors from UNEB, the scouts, supervisors and invigilators of PLE in the districts of Bududa, Bulambuli, Bukwo, Katakwi and others, for their determination and resilience in ensuring that the PLE was successfully conducted under very difficult weather and road conditions. Theirs was patriotism at its best,” he said.
