The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results. This year’s results include both the new curriculum candidates who sat under the New Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC) and the final group of transitional candidates who sat under the old curriculum.
What is different about the 2024 UCE Results?
This year marks the first implementation of the competency-based assessment model introduced under the NLSC. Unlike the traditional system that ranked students in divisions, performance is now reported through achievement levels represented by letter grades: A, B, C, D, and E. A candidate qualifies for the UCE Certificate if they attain at least a grade D in one of the subjects sat.
How many candidates sat for the exams?
A total of 379,748 candidates sat for the UCE exams, with 369,601 candidates being pioneers of the new curriculum and 10,147 candidates sitting under the transitional examination.
Of these, 357,120 (99.4%) attended the exam, while 2,297 (0.6%) were absent. The overall results show that 350,146 (98.05%) of the candidates who sat qualified for the UCE certificate.
How is performance assessed?
Under the competency-based curriculum, the grading considers Continuous Assessment (CA), which includes scores from school-based assessments, and the End of Cycle Examination, which represents final examination scores. Each subject’s final grade results from these combined scores. The performance levels (A-E) reflect the candidate’s competency rather than placing them in divisions.
What happens If a student does not meet the minimum requirements?
Candidates who achieve at least a Grade D in one subject qualify for the UCE certificate. Those who do not meet this requirement will have Result 2 indicated on their transcript, meaning they did not sit for all required subjects, did not sit for at least eight subjects, or lacked scores for project work.
Challenges in implementing the new curriculum
While the new curriculum emphasizes practical skills, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said that the key challenges, included limited resources in schools, as many rural and private schools lack well-equipped science labs and workshops. There was also resistance to change, with some schools initially opposing the shift, expecting the government to retract the curriculum changes, which affected candidates’ performance in sciences.
Transitional candidates and their results
The last batch of candidates under the old curriculum totaled 10,141, with 9,742 sitting for the exam. Their performance was ranked using the traditional division system, with 80 candidates (0.8%) achieving Division 1, 503 (5.2%) achieving Division 2, 1,710 (17.6%) attaining Division 3, 5,820 (59.7%) attaining Division 4, and 1,629 (16.7%) being ungraded.
How to access the 2024 UCE results
Candidates, parents, and well-wishers can check results via SMS by sending a message to 6600 following this format:
For new curriculum candidates: Type UCE [space] Index Number (e.g., U0000/001)
For transitional candidates: Add “T” at the end of the index number (e.g., U0000/001T)
With these changes, UNEB aims to focus on competency-based learning, ensuring students acquire practical skills that prepare them for further education and the job market.
