The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has announced that provisional registration for the 2026 national examinations has reached more than 1.4 million candidates, signaling strong participation in the country’s education system.
Jennifer Kalule -Musamba, the Principal Public Relations Officer said in a press statement released on Monday, that a total of 1,404,169 candidates had so far registered for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, with 15 days remaining before the end of the extended normal registration period.
“At the PLE level, a total of 844,341 candidates have provisionally registered, with girls accounting for the majority at 444,133 (52.6%), compared to 400,208 boys (47.4%). UNEB further noted that 539,954 candidates (64%) are government-sponsored under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, while 304,387 (36%) are privately sponsored”. Musamba said.
She added “For UCE, provisional candidature stands at 401,509 candidates, including 213,421 females (53.2%) and 188,088 males (46.8%). Of these, 152,043 candidates (38%) are sponsored under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme, while 249,466 (62%) are privately funded”.
At the UACE level, Musamba reported that 157,319 candidates had so far registered, comprising 76,383 females (48.6%) and 80,936 males (51.4%). Among them, 57,933 candidates (37%) are supported by government under the Uganda Post O’Level Education and Training (UPOLET) programme, while 99,386 (63.1%) are privately sponsored.
She also reported encouraging progress in registration by examination centres, with 91.5% of PLE centres, 76.6% of UCE centres, and 69% of UACE centres having already submitted registration data.
“A total of 23,421 examination centres are expected to register candidates nationwide”. She said.
She reminded schools and parents that normal registration will close on June 30, 2026, while late registration will run throughout July, attracting surcharges for delayed entries.
UNEB cautioned that no registration will be accepted after July 31, 2026.
She urged heads of centres, particularly those handling government-sponsored learners, to ensure all eligible candidates are registered within the normal period to avoid extra costs and prevent learners from missing examinations.
She also emphasized the importance of verifying candidate biodata, including names, dates of birth, gender, photographs, and subject combinations, noting that corrections can still be made free of charge until the end of July through the registration portal.
The Board maintained examination fees at Shs34,000 for PLE, Shs164,000 for UCE, and Shs186,000 for UACE, while cautioning schools against imposing unauthorized charges under the guise of “UNEB fees.”
