Confusion, false excitement as public struggles to interpret UCE results

When the Uganda Certificate of Examinations (Senior Four) results started trickling in in West Nile region on February 11, 2025, it was clear that the majority of the public, including parents and schools did not understand the new grading system.

Stunned by what they were seeing for the first time, schools, including those in rural areas started celebrating because if not all, but nearly all UCE candidates were categorised under Result 1.

Many equated Result One to Division One, a grading system that the Uganda National Examinations Board has since scrapped.

Some parents who rushed to access the results indicating their children passed in Result 1, were quick to call Arua One to find out whether the children could be featured in New Vision newspaper since they had performed 'exceptionally well'.

A close analysis of the result by Arua One later revealed that the grades from the overly excited schools were far from scores that would make them categorised as top performers.

During the release of the O'level results at State House in Nakasero, Kampala, on February 11, 2025, Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) executive secretary Dan Odongo said result one means a candidate has passed and qualifies to get certificate or to join A'level or any other certificate course.

Odongo said candidates who failed to meet the conditions for the UCE certificate award will have "Result 2" indicated on their transcripts.

He added that this applies to candidates who did not sit for compulsory subjects, failed to sit for at least eight subjects, or lacked Project Work scores.

Furthermore, candidates who did not achieve the minimum level in all subjects, resulting in only achievement level E in all subjects taken, will have "Result 3" indicated on their transcripts.

According to Odongo, candidates with "Result 2" and "Result 3" on their transcripts do not qualify for a UCE certificate.

He disclosed that a total of 359,417 candidates were registered as the first cohort for the examination. Of these 177,133 (49.3%) were males, while 182,284 (50.7%) were females.

Result 4 for those who missed exams

Some experts believe that most schools and the public are celebrating wildly without a deeper analysis of these results.

They cite the example in the previous curriculum where candidates in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades were deemed to have passed, the same way in the new curriculum, result one means a candidate has passed or qualifies to get certificate but there are details to determine whether they have done exceptionally well or not.