Over 1.4 million candidates register for 2025 national exams

A total of 1,415,857 candidates have been registered for the forthcoming 2025 national examinations across all levels, according to the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb).

These include candidates for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). This marks a 6.8 per cent increase from the 1,319,139 candidates registered in 2024, reflecting growing participation in Uganda’s formal education system.

Uneb spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba confirmed the figures and announced the official close of the registration process on Wednesday, July 31, 2025. Kalule noted that all examination centres will be required to display candidate registers in accessible locations within school premises to allow learners and parents to verify submitted information.

Dates for the verification exercise will be communicated by Uneb in the coming days. Kalule added that to enhance convenience and ensure transparency, Uneb will also introduce an SMS-based verification system.

This will allow candidates and guardians to confirm registration status and verify bio-data such as name spellings and dates of birth using their mobile phones. According to Uneb regulations, amendments after registration are only permitted for correcting candidates’ bio-data, such as name spellings or date of birth, based on the submitted registration information.