UBTEB exams start on Monday

By Vivian Agaba and Nelson Kukundakwe

The Uganda Business and Technical Examinations for the end of this year will kicking off on Monday where  a total of 49, 834 candidates registered to sit for them.

The executive secretary, Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB), Onesmus Oyesigye, said the board has put different measures in place to ensure the exams are conducted successfully.

“The board has deployed 180 scouts and 400 practical examiners to oversee the examinations exercise countrywide. We encourage our candidates and heads of centres at various training institutions to observe the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of UBTEB examinations.

They are warned to desist from any form of malpractice in order to guarantee the smooth conduct of the examinations at all centres,” said Oyesigye.

Oyesigye was speaking at a press briefing on the conduct of the 7th examinations series held at UBTEB main offices in Ntinda on Friday.

He warned candidates against malpractice especially sneaking of notices into examinations rooms, impersonation which he said could lead to penalisations of candidates involved or withdrawal of centres according to UBTEB rules and regulations.

Principal examinations officer, delivery and awards, UBTEB, Mary Gorrette Nabunya said these are practical based exams in which they test candidates’ skills and their readiness to use these skills to employ themselves other than moving from one company to another in search of jobs.

Nabunya said most employers today focus more on the employees’ skills other than their academic qualifications and therefore, Ugandans need to embrace vocational education.

Oyesigye noted that this year the board has registered 49.5% increase in the number of candidates compared to the previous examination series. This is  because it has taken over all training programmes that were previously examined by UNEB, MUBS and other individual institutions.

This year’s examinations that are starting on 24th this month and ending on 19th December shall be done in two phases.

33,635 candidates will be sitting at 206 centres for phase one and 16,199 candidates at 178 centres for phase two.

The programmes to be examined in phase one include; brick laying and concrete practice, electrical installation, plumbing, carpentry and joinery among others.

Programmes to be examined in phase two are those offered under business, technical and other specialized programmes.
They include fisheries, agriculture, cooperatives, wildlife, meteorology, surveys and lands programmes.