By Johnson Kanyesige
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reported a drop in the percentage of candidates qualifying for university admission, even as the overall number of students passing the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams has increased.
According to the official results released by UNEB, 98.8% (139,256 out of 140,888 candidates) qualified for the UACE certificate by attaining at least a subsidiary level pass in a principal-level subject.
However, only 65.5% (92,273 candidates) met the current university admission requirement of obtaining at least two principal passes. This marks a decline from 73.8% (80,816 candidates) registered in 2023.
Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Director, said that although there has been a proportional decline in pass levels in terms of percentage across the different levels, the actual number of candidates passing has increased at all levels. This can be attributed to the fact that more candidates sat for the exam than ever before.
Under the current regulations, candidates need a subsidiary-level pass in a principal subject to qualify for university admissions. Up until now, universities have considered two principal passes as the minimum requirement for degree courses. However, UNEB notes that for admission to other tertiary institutions where one principal pass and two subsidiary passes are considered, 121,506 candidates (86.2%) will qualify.
In terms of overall performance, 54,338 candidates achieved the maximum of three principal passes. This is followed by 37,985 who earned two principal passes, 29,233 with one principal pass, and 17,750 who passed with one subsidiary pass.
This means that 98.8% of candidates passed the examination, compared to 99.2% in 2023, indicating a slight reduction in performance. A total of 1,632 candidates failed the examination after receiving Fs, marking an increase in the number of failures compared to the 865 failures in 2023.
Regarding gender, as UNEB has observed in previous years, female candidates, although fewer in number, have performed proportionally better than their male counterparts. The percentage of female candidates passing at higher levels (3P and 2P) is higher, while the failure rate among females at lower levels is lower than that of males.
Meanwhile, with the increasing number of candidates, UNEB statistics show that an additional 11,457 university places must be made available to accommodate the learners graduating from A-Level. In cases where one principal pass and two subsidiary passes are considered for admission to other tertiary institutions, 121,506 candidates (86.2%) will qualify.
Janet Kataha Museveni, the Minister of Education, reassured parents and the general public that the government has laid a strong foundation to ensure there is adequate capacity to accommodate learners wishing to pursue higher education at the university level, as well as those seeking opportunities at other TVET institutions, both public and private.
An analysis of the 2024 examination results by UNEB reveals significant variations in the performance of candidates across different subjects, highlighting areas of improvement and others requiring urgent attention.
Notable progress has been made in subjects such as Economics, Literature in English, Physics, and Biology, where candidates showed marked improvements. However, significant declines were observed in subjects like Entrepreneurship Education, Christian Religious Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, and Chemistry. In particular, science subjects continued to see much lower grades compared to humanities, reflecting a persistent trend in the difficulty students face in these areas.
The UNEB analysis points to specific issues affecting performance. In the Humanities, for example, students struggled with poor interpretation of questions, largely due to misunderstandings of key concepts that guided expected responses. In History, inadequate critical thinking skills hindered candidates’ ability to analyze historical views effectively. The National Constitution, which is a crucial reference in one of the History papers, was another area where students showed limited exposure, leading to unsatisfactory responses.
In Economics, candidates faced challenges in relating their responses to real-life situations, particularly in applying relevant examples, especially those pertinent to Uganda. Many also struggled with basic mathematical skills required to tackle certain questions. Poor syllabus coverage, especially on topics such as national income, market structures, taxation, and monetary policy, was also identified as a contributing factor to the low performance in the subject.
Religious Education saw consistent issues related to students’ knowledge of key reference materials, such as the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran. Examiners reported a lack of understanding of the teachings in these texts and an inability to apply them to everyday life situations, a challenge that has persisted over the years.
Geography also recorded a decline in performance, with students failing to demonstrate proficiency in using statistical methods to explain geographical phenomena. The application of fieldwork skills to relate theoretical knowledge to real-world geographical issues was another weakness. Candidates also continued to perform poorly in map interpretation, which has been an ongoing issue. The Geography of Uganda paper, in particular, has consistently been one of the weakest areas.
In local languages, candidates showed a lack of knowledge of cultural practices, the meanings of proverbs, and how to use these proverbs in sentences. Additionally, students struggled with the appropriate vocabulary needed to write meaningful translations and compositions.
In the Sciences, a significant concern remains the lack of practical exposure, which continues to impact performance. Many candidates were unable to describe experimental procedures accurately, particularly in Physics. Some also failed to interpret experimental setups from the diagrams provided in the exam papers. The inability to connect science concepts to real-life situations further compounded the challenges in these subjects.
Overall, while there are clear improvements in some areas, the performance analysis underscores the need for better preparation, particularly in practical skills and the application of theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts. With a focus on addressing these gaps, there is hope for enhancing the overall performance of candidates in future examinations.
