Female candidates outperformed male candidates in several Humanities subjects in the 2025 UACE examinations, although boys dominated top grades in Mathematics and Sciences.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reported a sharp increase in the number of candidates who registered for the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations.
While releasing the results on March 13, 2026, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said a total of 166,400 candidates registered for the examinations, compared to 141,996 candidates in 2024. This represents an increase of 24,404 candidates, equivalent to 17.2 percent.
Of those registered, 72,764 candidates were female, representing 43.7 percent, while 93,636 candidates were male, representing 56.3 percent.
Odongo said 165,172 candidates eventually sat the examinations, up from 140,884 candidates in 2024. This reflects an increase of 24,288 candidates, also equivalent to 17.2 percent. Among those who sat the exams, 72,374 were female and 92,798 were male.
The number of examination centres also increased from 2,255 in 2024 to 2,452 in 2025, an increase of 197 centres.
Odongo noted that female candidates remain fewer than males at this level. However, proportionally, females performed better than males at the principal pass level of A to E in most Humanities subjects, as well as in Mathematics, Physics, General Paper, Subsidiary Mathematics and Subsidiary ICT.
He added that at the highest level of A grades, male candidates performed better in Mathematics and Science subjects. Female entries in these subjects remain lower than those of males, reflecting the wider trend of fewer female candidates overall.
A total of 540 candidates with Special Needs Education registered for the 2025 examinations. These included 274 males and 266 females. The number increased from 437 candidates in 2024.
UNEB chairperson Prof Celestino Obua said the board assessed a total of 1,402,434 candidates across the three national examinations in 2025. These include the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and UACE. This is an increase from 1,294,731 candidates assessed in 2024.
Obua said the steady rise in UACE candidature reflects expanding access to post-O-Level education and growing public confidence in national examinations.
“The Board continues to observe sustained growth in candidature at the UACE level,” Obua said.
He added that UNEB remains committed to maintaining fairness, safeguarding standards and ensuring grading remains comparable over time as candidate numbers continue to grow.
Obua also said the proportion of candidates who register but fail to sit the examinations continues to decline. He said this signals improved completion rates and stronger supervision at school level.
He noted that female candidates continue to perform better than males in several subject areas, especially in the Humanities, and generally record lower failure rates.
However, Obua observed that subject choices remain gendered, with more female candidates opting for Humanities than Sciences. He said wider participation in Science subjects by both male and female candidates will help improve balance across future professional fields.
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Proportionally, female candidates outperformed their male counterparts at the principal level pass (A–E) in most Humanities subjects, as well as in Mathematics, Physics, General Paper, Subsidiary Mathematics, and Subsidiary ICT.
However, at the top level of A passes, male candidates scored higher than females in Mathematics and Sciences.
Female entries in Sciences and Mathematics remain lower than those of males, reflecting the overall trend of fewer female candidates compared to males.
