The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has asked schools to immediately submit any missing continuous assessment (CA) scores for registered Senior Four candidates as the 2026 Uganda Certificate of Education examinations begin with candidate briefings.
Dan Odongo, UNEB Executive Director, said all schools were expected to have fully submitted CA scores, including Activities of Integration, subject achievement based on observation checklists, and project achievement, by the 30 September deadline. However, several schools have not yet submitted the scores for their registered candidates.
“Schools with registered candidates still missing Senior Four CA scores should contact the UNEB CA offices in Kyambogo without delay,” he advised, adding that continuous assessment forms an integral part of the final grade in every subject. Any learner without CA scores in a subject offered, or without project work, will not be graded.
Meanwhile, schools across the country briefed candidates today on UNEB rules and regulations, reporting full or near-full turnout and stressing preparedness, discipline, parental support and zero tolerance for malpractice.
At St. Joseph Nansana, Msgr. Dr. Lawrence Ssemusu preached to the candidates during a dedication Mass where he blessed them. He reminded them to remember the time and energy they have invested while climbing the educational journey, as they are now approaching the summit.
Msgr. Ssemusu cautioned the candidates not to expect miracles but to harvest what they have sown over the years. “Don’t expect a miracle. The examination you are going to sit is just to demonstrate what you have been working for,” he told them.
In Fort Portal City, King of Kings Secondary School registered 282 candidates, all of whom turned up for briefing. Headteacher Frank Nkwasibwe said the students had been adequately prepared and expressed confidence they would perform well.
Nkwasibwe noted, however, that some parents had not completed fees, partly because of the short term and the difficult economic situation. The school reached an understanding allowing instalment payments, so no candidate is inconvenienced or prevented from sitting.
At Mpanga Secondary School, the headteacher Charles Drake Rubongoya urged parents to support their children throughout the examination period by providing required scholastic materials, ensuring access to lunch and offering the necessary psychosocial support to keep candidates focused.
In Soroti, Bethany Comprehensive Senior Secondary School headteacher Paul Opesen warned fellow headteachers against trusting circulating examination papers online. He said reliance on such papers can distort students’ minds and undermine four years of hard work.
“Let’s trust that what we have delivered to them will bring them out very successful. Let’s trust the confidence we have built in those students. We, as professional colleagues, must desist from the misleading information,” Opesen stated.
Bukedea District Education Officer Stephen Okurut highlighted collaborative efforts by teachers, parents and students to ensure no candidate misses any paper. Parents have been encouraged to monitor attendance, while headteachers in both government and private schools were firmly told never to deny a student the chance to sit because of fee balances.
“Whoever is caught doing that will be sued and face the law for manipulating the future of the students,” Okurut asserted.
At Kapchorwa Senior Secondary School, parents appealed to the administration to stop demanding examination clearance while learners are sitting their papers, saying such interruptions affect concentration. Many families are struggling after a prolonged dry spell that damaged crops and household incomes.
Parent Festus Chesang said money is scarce, while Mary Chelimo asked the school to consider the circumstances. Headteacher James Mnyokos agreed candidates would not face unnecessary interruptions but cautioned parents not to treat the arrangement as a permanent delay in settling school obligations.
In Moroto District, candidates were urged to stay disciplined and avoid alcohol, night outings and bad peer advice. Municipal Education Officer Jimmy Okello called on administrators to keep school environments calm, urged parents to provide all requirements, warned community members against trespassing on school compounds and challenged school scouts to work diligently against malpractice.
At Moroto High School, 204 candidates attended the briefing; four are commuting due to pending indiscipline cases but were allowed to sit. Eric Sabila, a teacher, said the board also decided to let all candidates sit despite fee defaults and expressed optimism for more grade A’s.
In Arua, Senior Four candidates were urged to maintain discipline and hard work. At St. Joseph’s College Ombaci, Charles Ondoga, headteacher, said the boys have shown determination throughout their O-level cycle and, with Old Boys’ support, need only to stay disciplined during and after the exams. At Mvara Secondary School, Eliakim Matua, the headteacher who also doubles as the UNEB area supervisor, said the school expects discipline, hard work and God-fearing conduct.
In Mbale City, candidates at Mount Masaba High School were told to recall and apply classroom knowledge while strictly avoiding malpractice. Headteacher Arajab Nabuzembe advised them to use their correct names exactly as they appear on registration slips and to write only the UNEB random numbers and not the school’s name on answer booklets. Students were also reminded to maintain maximum discipline, respect, and good conduct throughout the period.
In Rubanda District, Nyamweru Secondary School reported all 95 registered candidates present for briefing and said it had secured the necessary equipment and materials for practical examinations.
Headteacher Medard Turamyomwe Ssalongo said a parents’ meeting this Saturday will brief families on supporting candidates with adequate food and clearing outstanding fees to avoid disruptions. Favourable weather is expected to keep roads passable for the smooth movement of examination materials.
In Jinja City, Education Officer Paul Baliraine said teams had conducted spot checks at more than 15 schools and found them ready. Learners and teachers were warned against any last-minute resort to examination malpractice, which yields nothing, and students were implored to rely wholly on their notes and revise extensively rather than panic.
The briefings mark the formal start of the 2026 national candidature for the Uganda Certificate of Education. UCE is the first of the three major national examinations conducted by UNEB this year, to be followed later by the Primary Leaving Examination and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education.
Candidate briefings will be followed by national prayers and dedication for the candidates, examination officials and the entire process. UNEB has requested all faith communities to join: Muslims on Friday 9 October Seventh-day Adventists on Saturday 10 October, and other Christians on Sunday 11 October 2026.
A total of 503,055 candidates has registered for this year’s UCE, a 16.4 percent increase from 432,165 last year. Of these, 264,722 (52.7 percent) are female, and 238,333 (47.3 percent) are male. The candidates will sit in 4,514 centres. Government-sponsored candidates under the Universal Secondary Education programme number 187,918 (37.3 percent), up from 154,642 last year, while privately sponsored candidates total 315,132.
Writing of the examinations begins on Monday 12 October, starting with Mathematics Paper 1 in the morning and General Science (Chemistry Paper 2) together with Chemistry Paper 1 in the afternoon-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
