Janet Kataaha Museveni
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I There were no failures in 2025 UACE exams, as 68% qualify for university education, following the release of results by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), showing improved performance among candidates across the country.
A total of 166,400 candidates registered for the 2025 examinations, compared to 141,996 candidates in 2024, representing a 17.2 percent increase. Of those registered, 165,172 candidates sat for the exams, with absenteeism declining slightly from 0.8 percent in 2024 to 0.7 percent in 2025.
The results of the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) were officially released on Friday, March 13, at a ceremony presided over by the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni.
Improvement in performance
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the results indicate a steady improvement in academic performance and increased access to higher education opportunities.
He said that 113,291 candidates—representing 68.6 percent of those who sat the examinations—obtained at least two Principal passes, the minimum requirement for admission to degree programmes at universities. This marks an improvement from 65.5 percent recorded in 2024, when 92,273 candidates qualified for university out of 140,888 who sat the examinations.
The Board also noted that 98.9 percent of the candidates qualified for the UACE certificate, leaving only 1.1 percent who did not meet the requirements.
“In the post-COVID period, the rate of increase in candidature sitting the exam has been quite rapid, rising from 96,557 in 2022 to 165,172 in 2025 — a 71 percent increase,” Odongo said.
Two principle passes
UNEB statistics show that 41.7 percent of candidates attained three Principal passes, while 26.9 percent obtained two Principals and 19.3 percent secured one Principal pass. Another 11 percent achieved Subsidiary passes, enabling them to qualify for various tertiary institutions.
Based on entry requirements for other tertiary institutions such as technical and vocational education and training colleges, UNEB said 145,129 candidates—equivalent to 87.9 percent—qualify for admission.
Schools can now download the results from the UNEB portal, while candidates can also access them via SMS by sending “UACE” followed by their index number to 6600 on MTN and Airtel networks. Hard copies will be available at UNEB offices in Kyambogo next week.
