Uganda registers 1.63 million candidates as national examination candidature rises by 14.9%
NATIONAL
Kampala, Uganda | Uganda has registered a total of 1,627,885 candidates for the 2026 national examinations, representing a 14.9 percent increase compared to the 1,416,448 candidates registered in 2025.
According to the provisional candidature figures, the increase amounts to 211,437 additional candidates, reflecting continued growth in the number of learners progressing through Uganda’s education system.
Females account for 52 percent of the total candidature, while males constitute 48 percent. The figures also show that government continues to support a significant proportion of learners, with 52 percent of the candidates sponsored under Universal Education programmes covering primary and secondary education.
The provisional registration further indicates that 6,090 candidates are learners with Special Needs Education (SNE), highlighting the participation of learners requiring specialised educational support in the national examination system.
At the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) level, candidature has risen from 818,885 candidates in 2025 to 920,796 in 2026, representing a 12.4 percent increase.
At the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) level, the number of candidates has increased by 16.4 percent, rising from 432,163 in 2025 to 503,214 candidates in 2026.
The biggest percentage increase has once again been recorded at the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) level. UACE candidature has climbed from 166,400 candidates in 2025 to 203,875 in 2026, representing a 22.5 percent increase.
The figures point to a substantial rise in the number of learners sitting Uganda’s national examinations across all three levels, with the sharpest growth occurring at the advanced secondary level.
