More than 503,000 candidates have started their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, with the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) warning that those caught cheating risk losing results for the entire examination.
A total of 503,055 candidates are sitting the examinations at 4,514 centres across the country, marking another major milestone in Uganda’s secondary education assessment.
UNEB said the candidates comprise 264,722 females and 238,333 males, with girls accounting for the larger share of those sitting the examinations.
The examinations opened with Mathematics Paper One in the morning, followed by General Science, comprising Chemistry Paper One and Paper Two, in the afternoon.
However, as candidates settle into the examination period, UNEB has issued a stern warning against examination malpractice, saying involvement in cheating in even one paper could lead to cancellation of results for the entire examination.
“Candidates must be informed that involvement in malpractice in one paper shall lead to the cancellation of results of the whole examination, and therefore, I implore Heads of Centres to diligently carry out this exercise of briefing without delegating it,” UNEB warned.
The examinations body has directed heads of examination centres to personally brief candidates on the rules and regulations, rather than delegate the responsibility to other staff.
The warning is intended to reinforce discipline and protect the credibility of the national assessment system, as UNEB seeks to ensure that the results reflect candidates’ genuine performance.
Of the 503,055 candidates, 187,918, representing 37.3 per cent, are sponsored by the government under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme. The remaining 315,132 candidates are privately sponsored under the non-USE category.
The figures highlight the continued contribution of privately funded learners to the country’s secondary education examinations.
UNEB also reported that 906 candidates are learners with Special Needs Education (SNE), reflecting efforts to accommodate learners with different needs in the national assessment process.
This year’s examinations are being conducted under the theme, “Advancing Excellence in Assessment and Certification through Secure, Credible, Inclusive and Innovative Processes.”
With the warning on malpractice, UNEB is seeking to remind candidates and school administrators that maintaining examination integrity is a shared responsibility, and that a breach of the rules could have consequences extending beyond an individual paper.
