Jennifer Kalule-Musamba
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has set July 31 as the final deadline for late registration of candidates for the 2026 national examinations, warning that no learner will be registered after that date despite the successful enrollment of more than 1.6 million candidates during the normal registration period.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, 30th June 2026, UNEB’s Principal Public Relations Officer, Jennifer Kalule-Musamba, announced that the normal registration window closes at midnight on June 30, after which candidates will only be accepted under the late registration exercise that attracts a surcharge.
Kalule-Musamba urged heads of examination centres to use the remaining hours of the normal registration period to ensure that every eligible learner is captured in the system.
“Today, 30th June, is the final day for the normal registration of 2026 candidates. The online registration process without payment of a surcharge will go on until midnight tonight. Heads of Centres are informed that it is still possible to register additional candidates even after uploading the majority. A separate invoice shall be generated for the extra learners registered,” she said.
The examinations body revealed that provisional registration had already reached 1,605,501 candidates across the three national examination levels, underscoring another year of robust enrolment.
According to the figures released by UNEB, 915,614 candidates have registered for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), 490,817 for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and 199,070 for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
Despite the impressive numbers, UNEB says some learners are yet to be registered, prompting the Board to announce a one-month late registration period.
“Late registration, attracting a surcharge, will take place from 1st–31st July, 2026. Thereafter, there will be no more registration of candidates for 2026,” Kalule-Musamba emphasized.
She particularly appealed to administrators of government-aided schools to avoid waiting for the late registration period, noting that some categories of learners will not qualify.
“Heads of government supported schools that are paid for by government under the Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and Universal Post O’Level Education and Training (UPOLET) are hereby reminded to register all the candidates before midnight tonight. These will not be accommodated under the late registration period,” Kalule-Musamba said.
UNEB also reminded schools that the normal examination registration fees remain unchanged until the close of business, with Shs34,000 for PLE, Shs164,000 for UCE and Shs186,000 for UACE candidates.
The Board said schools experiencing challenges with the online registration system should immediately contact UNEB for assistance rather than risk missing the deadline.
The annual registration exercise is one of UNEB’s most critical administrative processes because it determines the final candidature for the national examinations. The Board has consistently warned that candidates who fail to register within the stipulated timelines are not eligible to sit the year’s examinations.
With more than 1.6 million candidates already enrolled, the July 31 late registration deadline now represents the final opportunity for eligible learners to be included before UNEB closes the 2026 registration exercise permanently.
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