Kampala – The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) on Wednesday officially released the final timetable for the 2026 national examinations, setting the stage for more than 1.6 million candidates to sit Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) papers later this year.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo announced the schedule at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala. The examination season will begin on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with the mandatory briefing of UCE candidates. Actual UCE papers will run from that date through 3 November. Primary Leaving Examinations follow from Thursday, 30 October to Wednesday, 4 November. UACE examinations will start on Friday, 7 November and conclude on Friday, 5 December 2026.
This year’s UCE candidates mark the third consecutive cohort to be assessed under the Competency-Based Curriculum for lower secondary education. Continuous assessment and project work remain critical components of certification, with project scores contributing 20 per cent of the final mark. UNEB has urged schools still lagging in submitting continuous assessment data—currently about 18 per cent—to complete the process urgently.
A total of approximately 1.62 to 1.63 million candidates have registered, representing a 14.9 per cent increase (about 211,000 more learners) compared with the previous cycle. Females make up 52 per cent of the candidature and males 48 per cent. UNEB attributes the growth to higher completion and transition rates across education levels.
Odongo emphasised the need for thorough verification of candidate details. Schools must display candidate registers in conspicuous places on notice boards and at district headquarters until 7 October 2026, fulfilling the 60-day legal requirement under the UNEB Act. Candidates, parents and schools are advised to check names, dates of birth, gender, photographs and registered subjects carefully and to sign parallel registers confirming accuracy. Any discrepancies must be reported immediately for correction before the deadline.
The Board issued strong warnings against examination malpractice and fraud. Odongo cautioned candidates and parents against individuals claiming to possess leaked papers, describing such claims as attempts to deceive and extract money. He also reminded candidates that sitting examinations does not exempt them from school rules. UNEB will not intervene on behalf of any candidate suspended or dismissed for indiscipline. Head teachers were further warned against registering private candidates as government-sponsored under UPE or falsely declaring learners as having special educational needs.
The examinations will be conducted under the theme “Advancing Excellence in Assessment and Certification through Secure, Credible, Inclusive and Innovative Processes.” UNEB has called on head teachers to ensure candidates receive copies of the official timetable and are adequately prepared. With UCE papers less than a month away, the Board is urging schools, teachers, parents and candidates to finalise remaining preparations and maintain discipline throughout the examination period.
The release of the timetable signals the final countdown for Uganda’s largest annual educational assessment exercise, which will test the readiness of both learners and the examination system to handle a significantly expanded candidature.