Primary Seven candidates across Uganda begin their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) today, with a total of 817,885 learners registered to sit this year’s papers — a 2.5% increase from the 797,444 candidates in 2023.
The two-day national assessment opens with Mathematics in the morning session, followed by Social Studies and Religious Education in the afternoon, conducted across 16,140 examination centres countrywide.
This year’s cohort comprises 389,529 boys (48%) and 428,356 girls (52%), maintaining the pattern of more female candidates at this level.
A majority — 522,039 candidates (64%) — are registered under the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, while 295,846 learners (36%) are from private schools.
The candidate list also features 61 inmates from Luzira Upper Prison School, including 7 women and 54 men, demonstrating ongoing efforts to extend education opportunities to correctional facilities.
As the exams commence, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reinforced security measures to ensure a smooth and credible exercise, especially following recent cases of attempted exam malpractice.
The Board has also issued fresh warnings against online schemes claiming to sell examination materials.
The PLE concludes tomorrow, October 4, under the theme “Embracing security and holistic assessment of learners in a dynamic environment.”
