Registration of candidates for the 2026 PLE, UCE and UACE Examinations
The registration of the 2026 candidates in under way for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). Normal registration has been extended to 30th June, 2026 to accommodate the new centres that have just been accredited.
Late registration, attracting a surcharge of 100 % for PLE and 50% for UCE and UACE candidates will start on July 1st, 2026 and close on July 31st, 2026. There will be no MORE registration of candidates after July 31st, 2026. Centres are urged to complete the registration process early within the period allowed to avoid the congestion that tends to occur towards the deadline.
Registration fees
The government will continue to pay the registration fees of all the candidates sponsored under any of the three programs of Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE) and the Universal Post O-Level Education and Training Program (UPOLET). Heads of these Centres are advised to ensure that they submit the registration data of their candidates who qualify during the period of normal registration.
For the privately sponsored candidates, the registration fees have been maintained as follows; 34,000/= for PLE, 164,000/= for UCE; and 186,000/= for UACE.
Registration of PLE Candidates
Before registering candidates, the head teacher and parents should agree on the correct spellings and order of names that candidates should use. The names of the candidates should be got from the birth certificate, or NIRA forms submitted by the parents.
Registration requirements for the UCE Examination
This year’s candidates are the 3rd cohort of learners to register under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC). CBC requires candidates to register for a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum of Nine (9) subjects. Continuous Assessment scores for the subjects offered, as well as Project scores shall be a requirement for certification.
Only candidates who sat PLE in 2022 or earlier shall be allowed to register for UCE 2026. They should have passed PLE with the following grades 1,2,3, or 4; or its equivalent and should have attended four years of Lower Secondary Education.
Continuous Assessment (CA)
Candidates who have submitted Continuous Assessment (CA) scores to UNEB for all the subjects and the project scores for S.3 qualify for 2026 UCE registration. Candidates whose CA scores have been are submitted to UNEB are advised not to change names and optional subjects at S.4. Registration.
UCE Repeaters: Those who are repeating UCE must have complete scores of S.3.and S4 for all the subjects taken and project work.
Registration requirements for the UACE Examination
This year’s UACE candidates are the pioneers of the Competency Based Assessment (CBA) at UCE level/ Lower secondary. They are therefore going to be assessed under the UACE aligned curriculum where the assessment is also aligned to the modified format of scenario based tasks.
Only candidates who passed UCE (Grades 1,2,3, and 4 for old curriculum, and Result 1 for the Competency Based Curriculum), and obtained the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) in 2024 or earlier; or possess an equivalent qualification can be registered for the 2026 UACE Examination. They MUST have pursued an Advanced Level Course for at least two years.
UACE Repeaters
The Board, in consultation with the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), has established that the content Framework of the Aligned Curriculum being implemented has not changed. Therefore, those who sat UACE in 2025 or before and wish to repeat, can do so without the need for a special / transitional examination. The Board will therefore n0t conduct a transitional examination like the case was for UCE.
Candidates with Foreign Results
All candidates with foreign results MUST have their marks equated by UNEB before registration. After receiving the equated results, the candidates will be given a unique code to enable them register electronically. This procedure also applies to adult candidates, as well as candidates who have been authorised to use legally changed names.
Amendment of data
Centres are given until the end of the normal registration period to make amendments already registered and submitted data of candidates’ gender, date, of birth, without any charge. Thereafter, any amendment shall attract a fee of 50,000/=.
Charging fees not prescribed by UNEB
According to the UNEB Act, CAP 259, section 33, it is an offence to charge fees not prescribed by UNEB and refer to such fees as ‘UNEB Fees’. Heads of Centres and School Directors are therefore cautioned `against calling any other administrative costs as UNEB fees. Such an offence attracts a penalty of two thousand currency points (Forty Million Shillings) or a term of imprisonment not exceeding ten years or both. Additionally, the person convicted shall pay back the amount that is not prescribed by UNEB to the concerned students or their sponsors. The Board will also withdraw the Examination Centre of the school, and, where the person convicted is a registered teacher, the person shall be de-registered according to the relevant laws regulating the profession. Aggrieved parents or members of the public charged exorbitant fees alleged to be UNEB registration fees should file complaints with the nearby police station.
Misappropriation of Examination Registration Fees
The Board equally cautions Heads of Centres or their representatives to ensure that all the UNEB registration fees are remitted, and that the students are dully registered for the examination. Anyone who fails to do so commits an offence, and is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding two thousand currency points (Forty million shillings) or a term of imprisonment not exceeding ten years or both, as provided for in section 32 of the UNEB Act, CAP 259. Such a person shall also pay back the money collected to the concerned learners or their sponsors and compensate them accordingly. Where the person convicted is a registered teacher, the person shall be de-registered under the relevant laws regulating teachers.
Registering private candidates as Government sponsored candidates
Heads of government aided schools are put on notice NOT to register privately sponsored candidates as government sponsored candidates. This is a fraudulent practice which causes financial loss to government. Any head of an examination centre or school director that will be found indulging in this practice shall pay twice the amount that has been defrauded. Relevant laws on fraud will also be applied on such head teachers or directors and in addition, the examination centre number of the school shall be withdrawn.
Display of Candidates’ Registers
The UNEB Act, CAP 259 Section 4 (2) requires schools/ Examination Centres to display the register of the registered students in a conspicuous place at the school noticeboards, sixty days before the date for commencing the national examinations. Heads of Examination Centres are hereby put on notice to ensure that at the end of the registration, they make printed copies of the registration slip from the UNEB Portal. It is the responsibility of candidates, parents and Heads of Centres to confirm that the biodata of the candidates are correct. Candidates MUST verify the correctness of the details and append their signatures as proof that they have verified the information. Such information includes; spelling and order of names as captured on the birth certificate, date of birth as per the prescribed format of (Date/ Month/ Year), the correctness of the gender appended, the right photograph, as well as subjects offered for UCE and UACE candidates.
Checking Registration status of candidates using SMS
Relatedly, UNEB will make it possible for candidates, parents/ guardians to check the registration status of their children by sending an SMS to 6600. They will be required to know and type in the full index number of the candidates. The Board therefore urges parents and guardians of candidates to take keen interest in the registration of their children and verify the correctness of the information submitted.
Finally, the Board wishes to notify learners, parents and Heads of Centres that the use of erasable pen is NOT permitted during any of the UNEB examinations.
God bless our aspiring candidates. I thank you all. For God and My Country.
Dan N. Odongo
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
