Senior One Selection exercise kicks off in Kampala
Photo courtesy; GeofreyMutumba2
By Moses Ndhaye and Jane Nafula
KAMPALA: The selection of learners who will join Senior One has officially kicked off, an exercise that will run until Friday February 13, 2026, at UMA Show Grounds Lugogo Multipurpose Hall in Kampala, marking a critical transition for thousands of candidates who sat for the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE).
Across the country, parents and candidates are closely monitoring the exercise as traditional schools are expected to adjust their cut-off points. Some schools will raise their entry aggregates following strong national performance trends, while others are expected to slightly lower their cut off points to fill the available vacancies.
Cut-off points are typically influenced by overall national performance and the capacity of individual schools. In years when results are generally strong, competition for places in top-tier schools intensifies, pushing aggregates higher.
Last year, traditional schools from Kampala and the metropolitan areas maintained a competitive cutoff point with Aggregate 8 as the benchmark.
They included Buddo SS at 5, Gayaza High School 6, Makerere College School 7 and 8, Nabisunsa Girls SS 7, St Mary’s Namagunga SS 7, St Mary’s College Kisubi 5, Kitende SS 5 and 7, Ntare Senior Secondary School 7, Trinity College Nabbingo 6, Kawempe Muslims SS 7 and 8, and Kibuli SS 6 and 7.
Some head teachers for rural schools have however maintained their cut-off points to be able to accommodate more learners for Senior One. The deputy head teacher of Moroto Parents SS in Karamoja sub-region, Mr. Edward Okwi, said on Thursday morning that the cut -off points will remain at 28. “This is intended to allow more learners in the area to access secondary education”, he said.
The selection process is designed to ensure merit-based placement, particularly in government-aided traditional schools and other highly sought-after institutions.
Education authorities say the exercise aims to provide transparency and fairness in allocating limited spaces.
However, critics argue that the system often appears skewed toward elite and high-performing schools, leaving average-performing learners facing uncertainty during placement.
91,990 candidates passed in Division One, representing 11.39% of the 807,313 candidates who sat for the exams and a total of 397,589 candidates passed in Grade Two, 165,284 division three, and 75,556 in Grade Four, and also over 77,000 candidates were ungraded.
According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, Senior One Students are expected to start school on March 3, 2026.
