A total of 817,883 candidates registered for the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination, according to the Uganda National Examinations Board. Of these, 807,313 candidates sat the examinations, while the rest were absent. A total of 730,233 candidates passed, while 77,080 were ungraded, meaning they failed to demonstrate the minimum competencies expected at the end of primary education.

In percentage terms, 90.4 percent of candidates passed, while 9.6 percent failed. Although the number of ungraded candidates declined from over 88,000 in 2024, the figure remains high for a system that has prioritised universal access, curriculum reform and expansion for more than two decades.

The distribution of results shows that 91,990 candidates attained Division One, 388,293 were placed in Division Two, 165,226 in Division Three, and 84,724 in Division Four. The pattern remains familiar. A relatively small group excels, the majority pass at middle levels, and a significant minority exits primary school without the expected competencies.

While releasing the results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo acknowledged wide performance disparities across school types and regions. Learners from well-resourced urban schools continued to dominate the top grades, while government aided Universal Primary Education schools, particularly those in rural and hard to reach areas, accounted for a large share of candidates in the lower divisions and among the ungraded.

This reality points directly to the heart of the problem. Uganda operates a uniform national examination in a system where learning conditions are far from uniform. Pupils in village schools study in overcrowded classrooms, with limited learning materials and overstretched teachers, yet they are assessed using the same tools, timelines and standards as pupils in well facilitated urban schools.

There is no structured leniency, no contextual adjustment and no differentiated assessment to reflect the unequal environments in which children learn. In effect, the system measures everyone equally, even when opportunity is clearly unequal.

The results have also reopened debate over how success and failure at primary level are defined. Victoria University Vice Chancellor Dr. Lawrence Muganga has challenged the culture of treating national examinations for young learners as final judgments.

“The release of examination results is not news. It should be normal for every learner to sit an exam or undertake an assessment. Yet we become overly excited about a national exam for a 12 or 13 year old, while at the same time worrying that they might fail,” Muganga said.

Muganga questioned the logic of branding children as failures in a system that remains structurally unequal.

“Who declares a 13 year old a failure? Our education system is not yet as inclusive as we want it to be,” he said.

He pointed to Competency Based Education as a necessary shift away from memorisation and rigid timelines toward mastery and practical ability. Under this approach, competencies remain constant while time varies, allowing learners to progress when they are ready rather than when the calendar demands.

However, the 2025 PLE outcomes suggest that while policy direction has changed, implementation on the ground remains uneven, particularly in rural UPE schools where the conditions required to support competency based learning are still weak.

“It is no longer about what you can recall, but what you can do with what you know. A learner may score 60 percent and still be a problem solver. That is meaningful education,” Muganga said.

With over 730,000 candidates passing PLE, the primary education system is not in crisis. But with 77,080 pupils leaving primary school ungraded, the results expose a persistent structural gap between reform promises and classroom reality.

That gap explains why, year after year, tens of thousands of children reach the end of primary education without meeting national standards. Until reforms move beyond policy documents and reach the village classroom, the question posed by this year’s results will remain unavoidable.

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More than 77,000 candidates have failed the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has revealed despite an overall improvement in pass rates.

Presenting the results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said a total of 817,883 candidates registered for the examinations held on November 3-4, 2025, marking an increase in candidature compared to the previous year.

“Honourable Minister, we are pleased to present to you the results of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination,” Odongo said.

UNEB figures indicate that while the majority of candidates attained graded results and qualified to progress to secondary or vocational education, 77,000 pupils were ungraded, effectively failing the exams.

The Board noted that absenteeism remained stable at 1.3 percent, but stressed that every failure or dropout is a matter of concern.

Performance at the Grade One pass level improved compared to 2024, with more candidates qualifying for secondary schools and vocational institutions. However, challenges persisted in subjects requiring application of knowledge, particularly Social Studies and Religious Education.

“Some teachers have not fully adjusted their teaching approaches to align with the competency-based assessment framework. Many candidates struggled with questions that required applying knowledge about their communities and the country,” Odongo said.

He further blamed the circulation of misleading materials by unregulated examination bureaus just before the exams, which negatively affected candidates’ preparedness and performance.

UNEB Chairperson Prof Celestino Obua said the steady rise in candidature reflects increased access to education but warned that failure and dropout rates must be addressed urgently.

“Candidature has continued to rise, while absenteeism has remained steady at 1.3 percent over the last two years. However, any dropout is a cause for concern,” Obua said.

He expressed confidence that all successful candidates would be absorbed into the next level of education, citing government efforts to expand post-primary and vocational training opportunities.

UNEB reported mixed results among prison inmate candidates. At Uganda Government Upper Prison School, Luzira, 61 candidates registered, with 58 sitting the exams. Four obtained Division One, 27 Division Two, 13 Division Three, five Division Four, and nine were ungraded.

At Mbarara Main Prison Inmates Primary School, 40 candidates registered, 39 sat the exams, and one was absent. Seven candidates obtained Division One, 15 Division Two, 10 Division Three, five Division Four, and two were ungraded.

“These results highlight both the potential and the challenges of education programs targeting special groups, including inmates,” Odongo said.

UNEB also raised alarm over increasing cases of examination malpractice, describing them as more organised and aggressive than in previous years.

“Examination malpractice has taken on a brazen and troubling form, with reports of invigilators being bribed or threatened to allow teachers to assist candidates directly in examination rooms,” Odongo said.

He added that the results of affected candidates will be withheld under the UNEB Act until investigations are concluded, after which those implicated will be given a fair hearing before the Board’s tribunal.

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Boys have outperformed girls in the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination PLE, with a higher proportion of male candidates attaining Division One and Division Two, according to official results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board UNEB.

The gender performance analysis shows that boys registered stronger outcomes at the top end of the grading scale, while girls recorded comparatively higher percentages in the lower divisions and among ungraded candidates. UNEB said the trend was most pronounced in Division One and Division Two, where male candidates consistently outperformed their female counterparts.

Presenting the results, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the 2025 PLE was conducted on November 3 and 4 under the theme of embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment, a theme retained from the previous year.

“Honourable Minister, we are pleased to present to you the results of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination, which was conducted on 3rd and 4th November 2025,” Odongo said.

A total of 817,883 candidates registered for the examination from 15,388 centres, marking an increase from 797,444 candidates in 2024. Of the total candidature, 522,036 candidates representing 63.8 percent were Universal Primary Education beneficiaries, while 295,847 candidates accounting for 36.2 percent were from non UPE schools.

UNEB noted that the overall performance reflected the continued transition towards competency based assessment, with examiners commending the quality and relevance of the examination papers.

“Examiners and curriculum specialists commended the overall quality of the examination papers administered. The papers clearly reflected the paradigm shift towards competency based learning, with questions designed to assess learners’ ability to apply knowledge and skills,” Odongo said.

However, he acknowledged that weaknesses in instructional approaches affected performance in some subjects, particularly Social Studies and Religious Education.

“Some teachers have not fully adjusted their teaching approaches to align with this shift. As a result, many candidates experienced difficulty responding to questions that required application of knowledge, especially in relation to their communities and the country at large,” he said.

Odongo also cautioned against the growing influence of unregulated examination bureaus, whose last minute materials misled learners and negatively affected their preparedness.

UNEB further highlighted the performance of special candidate groups, including prison inmates. At Uganda Government Upper Prison School in Luzira, four candidates attained Division One, while the majority fell in Division Two and Division Three. At Mbarara Main Prison Inmates Primary School, seven candidates obtained Division One, with strong performance also recorded in Division Two.

On examination malpractice, UNEB raised concern over increasingly bold attempts to compromise the integrity of national examinations.

“Examination malpractice has taken on a more brazen and troubling form, with reports of invigilators being bribed or threatened to allow teachers to assist candidates directly within examination rooms,” Odongo said.

He added that in line with the UNEB Act, results of affected candidates will be withheld pending investigations, and those found culpable will be subjected to the Board’s tribunal process.

UNEB Chairperson Prof Celestino Obua said candidature continues to rise while absenteeism has remained steady at 1.3 percent over the last two years. He welcomed improvements at the Grade One pass level and expressed confidence that learners who passed would be absorbed into the next level of education.

“Performance at the Grade One pass level has improved compared to the 2024 examination. Overall, more candidates have qualified to proceed to the next cycle of education than was the case last year,” Obua said.

He added that UNEB will sustain annual item analysis of examination papers to support the competency based curriculum and called for enhanced teacher capacity building to improve learning outcomes.

Results for each examination centre will be uploaded to the UNEB Centre Portal immediately after official release. District, municipal and city inspectors of schools will begin collecting hard copies from UNEB offices in Ntinda on Monday, February 2, 2026. Parents and candidates can also access results through the SMS platforms on MTN and Airtel mobile networks.

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President Yoweri Museveni has directed the immediate appointment of Allan Kasujja as Executive Director of the Uganda Media Centre, a move aimed at addressing management concerns at the government communication agency.

In a letter dated December 27, 2025, addressed to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the President said he had received communication highlighting internal developments at the Media Centre, noting that he had not previously been aware of the ongoing manoeuvres.

“I have received your letter dated November 27, 2025, regarding the Media Centre. I was not aware of the ongoing manoeuvres,” Museveni wrote.

The President said the appointment of Kasujja had earlier been discussed with Gen Muhoozi and that he had since issued firm instructions to formalise the decision.

“However, some weeks ago, we had discussed the idea of Allan Kasujja with you. I have already directed Dr Chris Baryomunsi to appoint Allan Kasujja as Executive Director of the Media Centre,” Museveni stated.

Museveni added that once Kasujja’s appointment is concluded, government will proceed to review the rest of the leadership structure at the Media Centre.

“We can, then, look at the others,” he said.

In the same directive, the President instructed the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi to immediately initiate the administrative procedures required to effect the appointment and to assess suitable candidates for the deputy position.

“By the copy of this letter, I direct Dr Chris Baryomunsi to initiate the procedures of appointing Allan Kasujja and, additionally, assessing the others as to who could be the Deputy,” Museveni directed.

The letter, copied to the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, reveals Museveni’s need to stabilise leadership at the Uganda Media Centre, an institution responsible for coordinating official communication and public information.

Kasujja is a seasoned journalist with extensive experience in regional and international media.

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