The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the timetables for the 2026 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). A total of 1,627,885 candidates registered to sit the examinations.
The 2026 national examination cycle will begin on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with the briefing of UCE candidates.
The PLE will follow on Friday, 30 October 2026, when candidates will be briefed ahead of the examination, while UACE candidates will have their briefing on Friday, 6 November 2026, marking the start of the advanced-level examination cycle.
The 2026 UCE candidates are the third cohort to be assessed under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at lower secondary level.
The UACE candidates are also among the pioneer cohorts that studied under the CBC at lower secondary level. Their assessment will therefore follow a curriculum and examination approach aligned with the competency-based system.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said schools should ensure that all candidates receive copies of the examination timetable and that the timetables are displayed on school noticeboards.
“Head of Centres can access the timetables from their school portals. The Board has also availed hard copies of the timetables along with the other stationery,” Odongo said.
He added that UNEB had printed enough copies for all UCE and UACE candidates.
“Schools should ensure that every candidate receives a copy of the timetable, as part of the preparation process. The timetables should also be displayed on the school noticeboards for interested parties to access,” he said.
The number of candidates sitting the PLE has increased from 818,885 in 2025 to 920,796 this year. UCE candidates have also risen from 432,165 to 503,214, while UACE has recorded the biggest increase, from 166,400 to 203,875 candidates.
