UCE: results of over 2000 candidates withheld

Jan 29, 2016

Mathematics and science subjects made a big percentage of the withheld results

The ministry of Education, Science and Sports has released 2015 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination results but withheld results of over 2000 students due to suspected malpractice.

Mathematics and science subjects made a big percentage of the withheld results, Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) Chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol said.

Okwakol said most malpractice was in form of assistance from teachers in mostly science subjects.

A total of 310,530 sat for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams which were concluded in November.

Education minister, Jessica Alupo, had earlier indicated that some results were to be withheld.

Alupo said there was an improvement of students in the upper divisions this year. An improvement was seen in Mathematics although a decline was registered in Biology.

"The improvement of performance at Division 1, 2 and 3 is good. We must maintain this trend by paying attention to weak areas," the minister said.

The number of girls is half the total number of students who sat narrowing the gender gap, Alupo noted.

UNEB outgoing Executive Secretary, Mathew Bukenya, said candidates write answers in an outlined way as given by pamphlets and end up losing marks.

He noted the lack of evidence of lack of practical teaching in sciences even although the ministry supplies apparatus to schools.

Performance in sciences continued to be poor. Only 45% of candidates scored minimum competence levels.

Bukenya said results slips will be made available from UNEB offices starting 2pm adding that results were uploaded on school portals. "School heads can download them from the comfort of their offices. I encourage those who didn't do well to try it again," Bukenya said.

Normally, when results are released, parents can instantly find out their children's results by sending an SMS including their index number to the code 6600. 

The exams are done at the end of Senior Four, and the best candidate scores aggregate eight in eight subjects. The results are used to determine whether a student can join A' level or not.

Dates for selection of candidates for Senior Five will be set by the ministry of education after the results have been released.

Under the selection criteria, a candidate who misses their first school of choice usually goes to the second, depending on his or her score.

Schools usually give priority to candidates who select them as their first option.

According to the 2016 schools calendar, senior five students are supposed to report for the first term on February 28, a week after at the continuing students.

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