WRITES RAPHEAL LUBANGAKENE
Last month, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) issued fresh directions on how this year’s registration for exams will be conducted.
To restrain fraud, UNEB has set up a new desktop electronic registration system for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo believes the new system will trap deceptive registration attempts and also told of repercussions of those caught in the act.
“The results of any candidate whose registration is found to be fraudulent will be withheld,” warns Odongo in his statement dated April 1.
The Curious Cases of Retakers, Mature Entry Candidates and Examination Halls
In 2024, more than 6,000 students failed to attain the UCE certificate. How those students would redo or be assessed has been a mystery to many, as there existed no clarity on the situation.
But a recent statement from UNEB to all stakeholders cleared that mystic air.
“Those who wish to repeat must have submitted complete CA scores for S.3 and S.4 in all subjects taken and must also have completed the required project work,” announced UNEB.
Therefore, those who sat for the UCE under the new curriculum but failed to obtain a certificate and the ones willing to repeat voluntarily will only be allowed to re-sit the exams if they have complete Continuous Assessment (CA) scores and project work for both Senior Three and Senior Four.
UNEB also indicated that the affected learners failed to attain at least a grade D in one or more subjects, which automatically disqualified them from receiving the UCE certificate.
But UNEB and Ministry of Education officials were unable to provide instant direction on any next steps for those who had failed under the new curriculum.
Eventually, to remedy the situation, a transitional examination was offered to change fortunes.
UNEB also laid conditions for mature-age entrants under the freshened system.
According to Jennifer Kalule, the UNEB spokesperson, whoever desires to register candidature now under the mature age entry scheme must have at least enrolled in Senior Three.
“The new curriculum requires that to sit for the UCE, a candidate must have continuous assessment and project scores spanning two years, specifically from Senior Three and Senior Four. This also applies to mature-age candidates, meaning they must attend classes on a daily basis for the full two years,” Kalule explained.
And only Ugandan citizens aged 20 years and above will be eligible to register under the mature-age or private adult category. Such candidates must present written permission from the UNEB Executive Director before registration.
“This condition applies to Ugandan citizens only. Requests must be made in writing and accompanied by authentic documentary proof of age.” informs UNEB.
UNEB also warned against the use of forged documents such as birth certificates or national IDs, noting that offenders risk disqualification and potential legal consequences.
But then again, how will non-citizens such as refugees and legal immigrants willing to enroll for candidature under mature entry be catered for?
In a critical development, halls have been left out. UNEB says, “With the advent of the New Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC), no existing public halls shall be allowed to register UCE candidates for 2025. Schools are encouraged to apply for their centre numbers.”
The board also stresses that centers are strictly prohibited from registering candidates who have not been studying at their own school unless they have received express permission from the executive director.
The board also made clear the requirements for UACE registration, stating that only successful UCE candidates of 2023 or earlier, or those with an equivalent qualification, will be eligible to register, provided they have completed an Advanced Level course of at least two years.
Registration Deadlines, Surcharges and Extra Expectations
This year, normal registration that started on April 1 will close on May 31. A base fee of shs 164,000 and shs 186,000 for each UCE and each UACE candidate is charged, respectively. While an eligible private student is being charged shs 18,000.
Those that shall register between June 1 and June 30 are to incur a surcharge of 50% of the base charge. Those registering between July 1 and July 31 will incur a 100 percent surcharge.
Late registration ends on July 31.
And centers with outstanding fee balances will not receive any examination materials, according to the circular.
Each center is required to register a minimum of 10 candidates at each level, and failure to meet that number shall require those centres to gain permission from the UNEB Executive Director to register their learners as private candidates under another approved centre.
UNEB expects a maximum of 499 candidates per center, be it public or private secondary schools or training centres.
Candidates are expected to maintain their respective optional subjects as well.
The clock is ticking – the examination board expects full compliance from all stakeholders, especially the wishful candidates who must submit their complete assessments and full, accurate details in time to avoid any future inconveniences.
