Share this article

Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has announced key examination dates for UCE, PLE, and UACE candidates in 2024. PLE has seen a 6.6% increase in candidates, bringing the total to 749,374. UNEB’s Executive Director, Dan Odongo, highlighted concerns about delayed payments for invigilators, stressing the need for local governments to budget adequately for examinations.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has scheduled October 11, 2024, as the date for the candidates’ briefing for all students sitting for both the transitional old and new curriculum examinations at the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) level. The examinations will commence on October 14, 2024.

Primary Seven candidates, who will be sitting for their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), will be briefed by their respective head teachers on November 4, 2024. The actual examinations will begin on November 6, with Mathematics in the morning session, followed by Social Studies and Religious Education in the afternoon. On November 7, candidates will take Integrated Science in the morning and conclude with English in the afternoon.

Candidates sitting for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) will be briefed on November 8, 2024, and will start their examinations on November 11, 2024.

Addressing the District, City, and Municipal Inspectors of Schools (DIS, CIS, and MIS) at the UNEB offices in Kyambogo on September 18, 2024, the Executive Director of UNEB, Mr. Dan Odongo, announced a 6.6% increase in the number of PLE candidates, amounting to 50,000 additional pupils. This brings the total number of PLE candidates to 749,374.

Mr. Odongo also highlighted challenges faced in previous years regarding the non-payment of invigilators after the completion of their duties in several districts. He noted that this has led to demotivation and reluctance among invigilators to participate in future examinations. “Non-payment makes invigilators vulnerable to corruption, as they can be easily compromised. Currently, invigilators receive UGX 40,000 per day, and this amount is expected to increase for the upcoming examinations,” Mr. Odongo stated.

He further emphasized that PLE is a shared responsibility between UNEB and local governments. As such, local governments are expected to allocate appropriate budgets for the examination process. However, in the past, some local governments failed to include this critical activity in their budgets, resulting in severe resource constraints for education officials overseeing the examinations.