The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially released the results of the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) today, Thursday, January 23. A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 schools registered for the exams, marking an increase from 749,347 candidates in 2023. Among these, 524,025 candidates (65.7%) were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program, while 273,419 candidates (34.3%) attended non-UPE schools.
Notably, the 2024 PLE results show a better overall performance compared to the previous year. A higher percentage of candidates, 91.8%, passed the examinations, an improvement from the 88.0% pass rate recorded in 2023. However, there was a slight decline in the number of candidates achieving Division 1 grades. Most candidates passed at the Division 2 level.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo attributed the decline to challenges with questions that required advanced critical thinking skills.
The results revealed that 84,301 candidates achieved Division One, a slight decrease from the 86,582 recorded in 2023.
In other divisions, 397,589 candidates passed in Division Two, 165,284 in Division Three, and 75,556 in Division Four. However, 64,251 candidates were ungraded and will need to repeat Primary Seven.
Despite the drop in distinctions, Odongo highlighted an improvement in the overall pass rate. “A higher proportion of candidates (91.8%) passed in 2024 compared to 88.0% in 2023,” he said.
Boys outperformed girls overall in the 2024 PLE, registering more candidates in Division One and fewer failures. The results showed that 45,203 boys achieved Division One compared to 39,098 girls. Similarly, boys recorded fewer ungraded candidates (28,110) compared to girls (36,141).
However, girls outnumbered boys in Divisions Two, Three, and Four, which could be attributed to the higher number of female candidates who sat for the exams.
In terms of gender, 418,750 girls (52.5%) registered for the exams, outnumbering the 378,709 boys (47.5%) and highlighting a significant achievement in female participation in primary education.
The 2024 examinations also included candidates from correctional facilities. Luzira Upper Prison registered 71 candidates (70 males and 1 female), while 37 candidates—all male—sat for their exams at Mbarara Main Prison.
Odongo noted the expanding role of the Uganda Prisons Service in providing educational opportunities for inmates, with more branches such as Mbarara joining the initiative that Luzira started.
For schools and stakeholders, results have been made accessible through UNEB’s examination center portals, allowing schools to download results immediately after their release. Hard copies will be available for collection by District, Municipal, and City Inspectors of Schools at UNEB offices in Ntinda starting Monday, January 27, 2025.
Parents and students can also access results via SMS by sending requests through the short code 6600 at a cost of Shs500 per message. This user-friendly service ensures timely access to results for all.
Selection of Senior One (S1) students will take place next week on January 30 and 31, while the first term for the new S1 cohort will commence on February 17, 2025, according to the Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni.
The Minister urged headteachers and School Management Committees to address the issue of learner dropouts, particularly among those who have registered for PLE.
“We must look into this issue and understand why a learner who has registered to sit for PLE does not show up to take the exams,” she said.
