The 2025 Examinations have officially started with the briefing of candidates for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). The candidates, who were briefed by their HeadTeachers from schools, will sit from 4,308 Centers. They were taken through the instructions contained in the timetable, as well as the rules and regulations that guide the conduct of the examinations.
The Board has maintained last year’s examination theme of “Embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment.”
This was confirmed by the Executive Director of UNEB, Dan Odongo, in a statement dated October 10, 2025, marking the commencement of the 2025 UCE Examinations.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has also announced the deployment of 190 support staff to assist 679 candidates with special needs during the national examinations.
According to Odongo, a record 432,159 students, a significant increase from last year’s 379,748, will sit for their exams at 4,308 centers across the country.Girls make up more than half (52.7%) of the candidates.
The board stated that the exams are being conducted under the theme: “Embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment.”
The government is paying school fees for 154,637 of these students (36%) under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program, with the rest being privately sponsored.
UNEB also addressed the ongoing teachers’ strike, acknowledging the educators’ legitimate concerns while appealing to them to separate their industrial action from the critical task of supervising the national examinations.
The board appealed to teachers to assist for the duration of the exams, emphasizing the opportunity to assess the students they have taught for years. It expressed gratitude, noting that early indications suggest many are willing to help.
A warning was also issued against exam cheating, with the board confirming collaboration with security agencies to safeguard the exams. The public was cautioned about fraudsters selling fake exam papers, with several arrests already made.
According to the UNEB Act, anyone who attempts to access an exam paper prematurely or helps a candidate cheat can be heavily fined, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both.
Finally, the board directed exam officials to avoid political campaigns and asked politicians not to hold rallies in school playgrounds during the exam period.
