EA/GEN/24

May 24th, 2024

PRESS STATEMENT

Registration of candidates for the 2024 PLE, UCE (Old and New Curricula)
UACE Examinations
This year, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) will conduct Four sets of
Examinations; the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda Certificate of Education
(UCE) for both the Old and New Curricula, and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education
(UACE). This will be the first time UNEB is conducting the UCE examination based on the New
Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC), and arrangements for this examination are on course.
Alongside the UCE Examination based on the New Curriculum, UNEB will also conduct another set
of UCE-Transitional Examination (UCE-TE) based on the old curriculum. This will be a one off
opportunity given to anyone who would like to be assessed under the old curriculum, and qualifies
for the same. Registration for all the Four Examinations (4Es) is currently ongoing.

Requirements for the UCE Examination based on the New Curriculum

Only candidates who passed PLE (Grades 1,2,3, and 4) or its equivalent and have attended four years
of Ordinary Level Education may be registered for this UCE Examination. The PLE Grades shall be
verified automatically by the e-registration software for those who have sat the PLE within the
periods specified in the circular on registration sent to schools at the commencement of the
registration exercise, or earlier. Candidates should provide their correct index number and year of
sitting for PLE. The New Lower Secondary Curriculum requires candidates to register for a minimum
of eight (8) and a maximum of Nine (9) subjects. Continuous Assessment (CA) scores for the subjects
offered, as well as Project scores shall be a requirement for certification.

Requirements for the UCE-Transitional Examination (UCE-TE) based on the Old curriculum

As the country transits from the Old Curriculum to the New Lower Secondary School Curriculum,
UNEB recognises that there is need to conduct a UCE transitional examination based on the old
curriculum. This is a one-off examination to give an opportunity to the following categories of
people;

a. Those who sat UCE in 2023 or earlier and would like to improve their grades;
b. Those who registered for UCE in 2023 or earlier, but did not sit;
c. Those whose 2023 UCE results have been cancelled
d. Those who failed to register for UCE in 2023. These must have sat PLE in 2018 or earlier;
 e. Adult candidates who are 20 years old and above and did not sit for PLE. These will require
special permission from the Board before they can register. They must provide proof of age.

UNEB emphasises that this is a one – off opportunity and will not be repeated. NO OTHER
EXAMINATION WILL BE CONDUCTED under the old UCE Curriculum.

Requirements for the UACE Examination

Only candidates who passed UCE (Grades 1,2,3, and 4), and obtained the Uganda Certificate of
Education (UCE) in 2022 or earlier, or possess an equivalent qualification can be registered for the
2024 UACE Examination. For purposes of government sponsorship, only candidates who sat for
UCE in 2022 are eligible to register under the government program of Universal Post O’Level
Education and Training (UPOLET).

Candidates with Foreign Results

All candidates with foreign results MUST have their marks equated by UNEB before registration.
After receiving the equated results, the candidates will be given a unique code to enable them register
electronically. This procedure also applies to adult candidates, as well as candidates who have been
authorised to use legally changed names.

Continuous Assessment and Project Scores

Continuous Assessment is an integral part of the NLSC and the scores will contribute 20% to the
final End of Cycle Assessment. Scores for Projects will be reported separately on the certificates.
Any candidate without CA and Project scores will not be graded by UNEB. Schools should submit
CA scores for the candidates from 4th June – 4th October, 2024.

To facilitate this process, UNEB is currently training teachers of all secondary schools in
Competency Based and Continuous Assessment Skills as well as data collection using the
Assessment Management Information System (AMIS) tool developed by the Board. Training is
under way on a regional basis.

Registration for the Four Examinations

Normal registration for all candidates will close on 31st May, 2024. For candidates who may miss
registering during this time, a period has been set for late registration, which attracts a surcharge. The
government will pay the registration fees of all the candidates sponsored under any of the three
programs of Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE) and the
Universal Post O-Level Education and Training Program (UPOLET). Heads of these Centres are
advised to ensure that they submit the registration data of their candidates during the period of normal
registration.

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Registration fees for privately sponsored candidates

No. Examination Level Registration Fees

1 PLE 34,000/=

2 UCE Examination 164,000/=

3 UACE Examination 186,000/=

Charging fees not prescribed by UNEB

According to the UNEB Act 2021, section 33, it is an offence to charge fees not prescribed by UNEB
and refer to such fees as ‘UNEB Fees’. Heads of Centres and School Directors are therefore
cautioned `against calling any other administrative costs as UNEB fees. Such an offence attracts a
penalty of two thousand currency points (Forty Million Shillings) or a term of imprisonment not
exceeding ten years or both. Additionally, the person convicted shall pay back the amount that is not
prescribed by UNEB to the concerned students or their sponsors. The Board will also withdraw the
Examination Centre of the school, and, where the person convicted is a registered teacher, the person
shall be de-registered according to the relevant laws regulating the profession. Aggrieved parents or
members of the public charged exorbitant fees alleged to be UNEB registration fees should file
complaints with the nearby police station.

Misappropriation of Examination Registration Fees

UNEB equally cautions Heads of Centres or their representatives to ensure that all the UNEB
registration fees are remitted to the Board, and that the students are dully registered for the
examination. Anyone who fails to do so commits an offence, and is liable, on conviction, to a fine
not exceeding two thousand currency points (Forty million shillings) or a term of imprisonment not
exceeding ten years or both, as provided for in section 32 of the UNEB Act 2021. Such a person shall
also pay back the money collected to the concerned learners or their sponsors and compensate them
accordingly. Where the person convicted is a registered teacher, the person shall be de-registered
under the relevant laws regulating teachers.

Registering private candidates as Government sponsored candidates

Heads of government aided schools are put on notice NOT to register privately sponsored candidates
as government sponsored candidates. This is a fraudulent practice which causes financial loss to
government. Any head of an examination centre or school director that will be found indulging in
this practice shall pay twice the amount that has been defrauded. Relevant laws on fraud will also be
applied on such head teachers or directors and in addition, the examination centre number of the
school shall be withdrawn.

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Display of Candidates’ Registers

The UNEB 2021 Section 4 (2) requires schools/ Examination Centres to display the register of the
registered students in a conspicuous place at the school noticeboards, sixty days before the date for
commencing the national examinations.

Heads of Examination Centres are hereby put on notice to ensure that at the end of the registration,
they make printed copies of the registration slip from the UNEB Portal. It is the responsibility of
candidates, parents and Heads of Centres to confirm that the biodata of the candidates is correct.
Candidates MUST verify the correctness of the details and append their signatures as proof that they
have verified the information. Such information includes; spelling and order of names as captured
on the birth certificate, date of birth as per the prescribed format of (Date/ Month/ Year), the
correctness of the gender appended, the right photograph, as well as subjects offered for UCE and
UACE candidates.

Checking Registration status of candidates

At the end of the registration period, UNEB will make it possible for candidates, parents/ guardians
of candidates to check the registration status of their children by sending an SMS to 6600. They will
be required to know and type in the full index number of the candidates. The Board therefore urges
parents and guardians of candidates to take keen interest in the registration of their children and verify
the correctness of the information submitted.

We wish all the aspiring candidates God’s blessings. I thank you all. For God and my country.

Dan N. Odongo
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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