According to the official results released by UNEB, 98.8% (139,256 out of 140,888 candidates) qualified for the UACE certificate by attaining at least a subsidiary level pass in a principal-level subject.
The Uganda National Examinations Board
(UNEB) has reported a drop in the percentage of candidates qualifying for
university admission, even as the overall number of students passing the Uganda
Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams has increased.
According to the official results
released by UNEB, 98.8% (139,256 out of
140,888 candidates) qualified for the UACE certificate by attaining at
least a subsidiary level pass in
a principal-level subject.
However, only 65.5% (92,273 candidates) met the current university admission
requirement of obtaining at least two
principal passes. This marks a decline from 73.8% (80,816 candidates) registered in 2023.
Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive
Director, said that although there has been a proportional decline in pass levels
in terms of percentage across the different levels, the actual number of
candidates passing has increased at all levels. This can be attributed to the
fact that more candidates sat for the exam than ever before.
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Under the current regulations, up to date, universities have considered two principal passes as
the minimum requirement for degree courses.
However, UNEB notes that for
admission to other tertiary institutions where one principal pass and two
subsidiary passes are considered, 121,506 candidates (86.2%) will qualify.
In terms of overall performance, 54,338
candidates achieved the maximum of three principal passes. This is followed by
37,985 who earned two principal passes, 29,233 with one principal pass, and
17,750 who passed with one subsidiary pass.
This means that 98.8% of candidates
passed the examination, compared to 99.2% in 2023, indicating a slight
reduction in performance. A total of 1,632 candidates failed the examination
after receiving Fs, marking an increase in the number of failures compared to
the 865 failures in 2023.
Regarding gender, as UNEB has observed
in previous years, female candidates, although fewer in number, have performed
proportionally better than their male counterparts. The percentage of female
candidates passing at higher levels (3P and 2P) is higher, while the failure
rate among females at lower levels is lower than that of males.
Meanwhile, with the increasing number
of candidates, UNEB statistics show that an additional 11,457 university places
must be made available to accommodate the learners graduating from A-Level. In
cases where one principal pass and two subsidiary passes are considered for
admission to other tertiary institutions, 121,506 candidates (86.2%) will
qualify.
Janet Kataha Museveni, the Minister of
Education, reassured parents and the general public that the government has
laid a strong foundation to ensure there is adequate capacity to accommodate
learners wishing to pursue higher education at the university level, as well as
those seeking opportunities at other TVET institutions, both public and
private.
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An analysis of the 2024 examination
results by UNEB reveals significant variations in the performance of candidates
across different subjects, highlighting areas of improvement and others
requiring urgent attention.
Notable progress has been made in
subjects such as Economics, Literature in English, Physics, and Biology, where
candidates showed marked improvements. However, significant declines were
observed in subjects like Entrepreneurship Education, Christian Religious
Education, Geography, Mathematics, Agriculture, and Chemistry. In particular,
science subjects continued to see much lower grades compared to humanities,
reflecting a persistent trend in the difficulty students face in these areas.
The UNEB analysis points to specific
issues affecting performance. In the Humanities, for example, students
struggled with poor interpretation of questions, largely due to
misunderstandings of key concepts that guided expected responses. In History,
inadequate critical thinking skills hindered candidates' ability to analyze
historical views effectively. The National Constitution, which is a crucial
reference in one of the History papers, was another area where students showed
limited exposure, leading to unsatisfactory responses.
In Economics, candidates faced
challenges in relating their responses to real-life situations, particularly in
applying relevant examples, especially those pertinent to Uganda. Many also
struggled with basic mathematical skills required to tackle certain questions.
Poor syllabus coverage, especially on topics such as national income, market
structures, taxation, and monetary policy, was also identified as a
contributing factor to the low performance in the subject.
Religious Education saw consistent
issues related to students' knowledge of key reference materials, such as the
Holy Bible and the Holy Quran. Examiners reported a lack of understanding of
the teachings in these texts and an inability to apply them to everyday life
situations, a challenge that has persisted over the years.
Geography also recorded a decline in
performance, with students failing to demonstrate proficiency in using
statistical methods to explain geographical phenomena. The application of
fieldwork skills to relate theoretical knowledge to real-world geographical
issues was another weakness. Candidates also continued to perform poorly in map
interpretation, which has been an ongoing issue. The Geography of Uganda paper,
in particular, has consistently been one of the weakest areas.
In local languages, candidates showed a
lack of knowledge of cultural practices, the meanings of proverbs, and how to
use these proverbs in sentences. Additionally, students struggled with the
appropriate vocabulary needed to write meaningful translations and
compositions.
In the Sciences, a significant concern
remains the lack of practical exposure, which continues to impact performance.
Many candidates were unable to describe experimental procedures accurately,
particularly in Physics. Some also failed to interpret experimental setups from
the diagrams provided in the exam papers. The inability to connect science
concepts to real-life situations further compounded the challenges in these
subjects.
Overall, while there are clear
improvements in some areas, the performance analysis underscores the need for
better preparation, particularly in practical skills and the application of
theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts. With a focus on addressing these
gaps, there is hope for enhancing the overall performance of candidates in
future examinations.
