Over 350,000 pass UCE exams under new curriculum

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), together with the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, officially released the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE)  exam results on Tuesday. These results cover candidates from both the final cohort who sat for the exams under the old lower secondary curriculum and those who completed the exams under the new competence-based curriculum.

Male candidates who sat for the 2024 UCE exams under the new curriculum performed better than their female counterparts at the exceptional and outstanding levels. However, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo noted that female candidates demonstrated higher achievement in English Language, Christian Religious Education, and Art and Design.

In other subjects, including Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geography, the proportion of females achieving exceptional and outstanding levels was lower than that of males. Conversely, while the performance of females at the exceptional and outstanding levels in most subjects was lower than that of males, the performance of males at the elementary level was higher than that of females.

“Female candidates demonstrated higher achievement levels in English Language, Christian Religious Education, and Art and Design. In the other subjects; History and Political Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, Chemistry and Biology, the proportions of females in the exceptional and outstanding levels are lower than that of males,” Mr Odongo said.

The overall results show that 350,146 candidates who sat for the 2024 UCE examination under the new curriculum passed and qualify for certificates. Speaking at the release of the results at Nakasero State House, Odongo indicated that a higher percentage of candidates achieved high-level competence in all the major entry subjects.

Odongo noted that exceptional levels of achievement were especially noted in Art and Design, History & Political Education, Agriculture, and Mathematics. He also noted that the proportions of candidates achieving at the elementary level (below basic level) were highest in Physics, followed by Chemistry, and then English Language.

Meanwhile, Odongo reported that a total of 10,141 candidates (5,373 females and 4,379 males) registered for the examinations under the old curriculum. Of the 9,742 candidates who sat for the exams, 80 passed in Division One, 503 in Division Two, 1,710 in Division Three, and 5,820 in Division Four. A total of 1,629 candidates failed the examinations and were ungraded.

Written by Damali Mukhaye