Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) to conduct four Examination sets as government end the old curriculum and commencing examining learners at Uganda Certificate of Education level using the new one this academic year.
The four sets that will be conducted in 2024 include; Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) for both Old and New Curricula, and the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education and Primary Leaving Examination.
The Examination body’s Executive Director Dan N.Odongo informed reporters in a press briefing held at Uganda Media Centre in Kampala that alongside the UCE Examination based on the New Curriculum, UNEB will also conduct what he called UCE- Transitional Examination (UCE-TE) based on the old curriculum.
He also said that Candidates permitted to register for the UCE- Transitional Examination (UCE-TE) should be those who registered for UCE in 2023 or earlier but didn’t sit, those who sat in 2023 and would like to improve their grades, candidates whose results have been cancelled and those who failed to register for UCE in 2023, all of these must have sat PLE in 2018 or earlier.
The adult candidates who are 20 years old and above but didn’t sit for PLE will also be allow to do Examinations in the old curriculum but are required to secure special permission from the board Executive Director.
Normal registration for all candidates will close on 31st May, 2024. Candidates who may miss registering during this time will go for late registration which attracts a surcharge.
Mr Odongo also revealed that government will pay registration fees for candidates who sat in 2023 and wish to improve their results. He however warned Heads of government aided schools to refrain from registering privately sponsored candidates something he says is a fraudulent act which cause financial loss government.
He also said warned, any head of an examination centre or school director who will be caught in such practice shall pay twice the amount that has been defrauded or will be prosecuted basing on the relevant laws on fraud acts.
The Director also cautioned Head Teachers and School Directors to avoid charging fees in disguise of UNEB fees that the board will not ha-state to prosecuted them. Mr. Odongo said that this is an offence which attracts a penalty of UGX 40,000,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding ten years of both. While the UNEB Act 2021 attracts same charges for misappropriation of Examination Registration Fees, upon conviction in addition to paying back the money collected to the concerned learners or their sponsors and also compensate them accordingly.
He also called upon parents and guardians of candidates to go to schools where their children registered for UNEB examinations to cross check on the details and particulars for instance proper names, gender and subjects whether they are matching with right information they provided to avoid anomalies.
Odongo said that schools especially at primary level entrust registration work with the service providers who normally commit a lot of errors therefore guardians have the obligation to check physically with Examination centres or electronically using UNEB number 6600.
