Kampala, Uganda – The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results, marking a significant milestone in the country’s education sector. This is the first cohort of candidates to sit for the examination under the new competency-based curriculum.
According to UNEB Executive Director Dan Odong, the board has introduced a new grading system, where performance is reported by achievement levels indicated by letter grades A, B, C, D, and E.
“These are the results of the first cohort of candidates under the competency-based curriculum that we are presenting to you,” Odong said. “In 2020, the government rolled out the competency-based curriculum for the lower secondary school level. This presented a requirement for assessment reforms that introduced new components of continuous assessment, or CA, and project work on top of the various activities, on top of the existing end-of-cycle examination.”
Odong explained that the board embarked on various activities in preparation to assess the first cohort of learners. “Following a roadmap that had been developed, the board had to build capacity for its staff, given that the assessment of the curriculum would fundamentally shift from what was then in practice,” he said.
The board developed formats for student identification to facilitate registration of senior three and senior four learners and tracking their continuous assessment scores in all schools. A unique format of numbers was also developed to identify learners in schools without examination centers.
Odong reported that the board developed assessment tools, guidelines, training materials, capacity building for teachers as item writers and scorers, benchmarking to pick best practices, and sensitization of key education stakeholders.
“The board was able to put in place all the necessary assessment tools, including an in-house software code-named Assessment Management Information System (ARMIS),” Odong said.
A total of 63,041 teachers were trained, consisting of 43,741 males and 19,300 females. The training was on the assessment of continuous assessment with emphasis on the use of digital assessment tools that the board had developed and circulated.
The assessment was successfully administered, and the results have been released. The new grading system is a significant departure from the old system, where candidates were ranked in divisions.
“The achievement level for each subject is arrived at from the scores generated from the assessment of competencies at the school level and the scores from the competencies that are assessed in the final end-of-cycle examination,” Odong explained.
The scores are combined in a ratio of 20% continuous assessment and 80% end-of-cycle examination. The achievement levels are indicated by letter grades A, B, C, D, and E.
Odong explained the meaning of each letter grade. “Grade A is described as exceptional, and a candidate who has this grade A is an exceptional candidate or learner, who demonstrates an extraordinary level of competency by applying innovatively and creatively the acquired knowledge and skills in real-life situations.”
Grade B is described as outstanding, and a candidate who has this grade B demonstrates a high level of competency by applying the acquired knowledge and skills in real-life situations.
Grade C is described as satisfactory, and a candidate who has this grade C demonstrates an adequate level of competency by applying the acquired knowledge and skills in real-life situations.
Grade D is described as basic, and a candidate who has this grade D demonstrates a minimum level of competency in applying the acquired knowledge and skills in real-life situations.
Grade E is described as elementary, and a candidate who has this grade E demonstrates below the basic level of competency in applying the acquired knowledge and skills.
Odong noted that under the new system, a candidate will qualify for the Uganda Certificate of Education certificate if they obtain a competency level grade of D in at least one subject.
“The minimum number of subjects that a candidate sits is eight, and the maximum number is nine,” Odong explained. “So if a candidate obtains the basic level at D in any of the eight or nine subjects that the candidate has taken, that candidate is deemed to have qualified for the Uganda Certificate of Education Award.”
The overall results show that 350,146 or 98.5% of the candidates who sat qualified for the UCE certificate. This will be indicated on their results transcripts and certificates as “Result One.”
Candidates who did not fulfill the conditions for the award will have “Result Two” indicated on their transcripts. This includes candidates who did not sit for all the eight subjects, or those who did not register for the compulsory subjects.
A total of 359,417 candidates registered for the examination, with 177,133 or 49.3% being males and 182,284 or 50.7% being females.
The registration of candidates with special needs was also reported, with 743 candidates registered, consisting of 354 males and 389 females.
Odong noted that the board encountered some challenges during the implementation of the new curriculum, including the lack of efficient ICT infrastructure including the lack of efficient ICT infrastructure in many schools and the shortage of school laboratory facilities.
“The new curriculum being skill-based requires that science-based science labs and workshops are well-equipped to give the learners enough chance to create new knowledge through self-learning,” Odong explained.
The results will be available online, and candidates can access them through the examination center portals or via SMS on MTN and Airtel.
Odong emphasized the importance of the competency-based curriculum in equipping learners with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in the 21st century.
“We believe that this new curriculum will go a long way in improving the quality of education in Uganda and preparing our learners for the challenges of the future,” he said.
