KAMPALA, Uganda — A total of 432,159 Senior Four candidates officially began their Uganda Certificate of Education examinations Monday, marking a significant 12.1% increase from last year’s total of 379,748 candidates, according to the Uganda National Examinations Board.
The national examinations commenced with the Geography paper, followed by Biology (Theory) in the afternoon. Candidates from 4,308 examination centers nationwide had been briefed on regulations and expectations on Friday, Oct. 10.
The 2025 examination season is being conducted under the theme: “Embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment,” which reflects the board’s emphasis on safeguarding examination integrity while adapting to the evolving social and technological environment.
With the country entering a heated political season ahead of the 2026 general elections, UNEB issued a strong warning to political actors to respect school spaces during this critical period.
“We call upon political aspirants to avoid carrying out political rallies from school playgrounds so as not to destabilize candidates writing their examinations,” UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said.
Security has been heightened around the examination centers to ensure a peaceful and conducive environment for the candidates. The UCE exams are a key milestone in Uganda’s education system, marking the transition from lower secondary to higher-level academic and vocational pathways. The exams will run for the next four weeks under strict supervision from UNEB and security agencies.
