UNEB extends 2026 exam registration deadline to June 30

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The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has extended the registration period for the 2026 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) to June 30.

In a statement dated May 28, UNEB executive director Dan Odongo said the move is in a bid to accommodate newly accredited examination centres.

Late registration will run from July 1 to July 31, 2026, with hefty surcharges of 100% for PLE candidates and 50% for UCE and UACE candidates.

Odongo said no registrations will be accepted after July 31, 2026.

"The government will continue covering registration fees for candidates sponsored under Universal Primary Education (UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), and the Universal Post O-Level Education and Training Program (UPOLET)."

For privately sponsored candidates, fees remain at sh34,000 for PLE, sh164,000 for UCE, and sh186,000 for UACE.

The 2026 examination cycle marks significant milestones in Uganda's education reform. 

UCE candidates represent the third cohort registering under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which requires a minimum of eight and a maximum of nine subjects, with continuous assessment scores and project work mandatory, for certification.

UACE candidates will be the pioneers of Competency Based Assessment (CBA) at A-Level, with assessments aligned to scenario-based tasks under the modified curriculum format.

Strict requirements 

UNEB ED Odongo emphasised strict adherence to registration requirements across all levels, noting that all PLE candidates must have names matching their birth certificates or NIRA forms.

"UCE candidates must have sat PLE in 2022 or earlier with grades 1, 2, 3, or 4. UACE candidates must have passed UCE in 2024 or earlier and pursued Advanced Level courses for at least two years," he said. 

All candidates with foreign results must have them equated by UNEB before registration.

UNEB issued stern warnings against malpractices.

"Registering private candidates as government-sponsored is fraudulent and will result in centres paying twice the defrauded amount plus potential criminal charges," said the statement, adding that charging fees not prescribed by UNEB attracts penalties of up to sh40 million or ten years imprisonment. 

Misappropriation of registration fees carries similar penalties and de-registration for the teachers involved.

Amending data

Centres can amend candidates' gender, date of birth, and other data without charge until the end of the normal registration period. Afterwards, each amendment will cost sh50,000.

Parents and guardians can now check candidates' registration status via SMS by sending the candidate's full index number to 6600.

UNEB also requires schools to display registered candidates' lists on notice boards 60 days before the national examinations begin.

The Board reminded all candidates that erasable pens are strictly prohibited in all UNEB examinations.

Centres are urged to complete registrations early to avoid the congestion that typically occurs near deadlines.