PLE 2025: More candidates register, English improves as social studies performance drops

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the results of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), revealing a modest increase in candidature, improved performance in English, and a notable decline in Social Studies and Religious Education.

According to UNEB Executive Director Dan N. Odongo, a total of 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for the 2025 PLE, compared to 797,444 candidates in 2024, representing an increase of 20,439 candidates (2.6%) .

Of the total registered candidates, 522,036 (63.8%) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 295,847 (36.2%) came from non-UPE schools. Girls continued to outnumber boys, accounting for 52.4% of the candidature, a trend that has remained consistent over recent years .

High Turnout, Low Absenteeism

UNEB reported that 807,313 candidates sat the examination, while 10,570 candidates (1.3%) were absent — the same absentee rate recorded in 2024 and lower than previous years. Despite challenges posed by heavy rains, damaged roads, and bridges in some parts of the country, UNEB said examinations were successfully conducted due to coordinated efforts by local governments, security agencies, and UNEB monitors .

Subject Performance: English Leads, SST Declines

An item response analysis showed that less than 20% of candidates demonstrated higher-level proficiency across all subjects. English registered the highest proportion of higher-ability candidates at 18.5%, followed by Mathematics (16.4%) and Integrated Science (15.6%). Social Studies with Religious Education recorded 15.9% at the higher-ability level .

At Grade 8 and above, candidates performed best in English (91.9%), followed by Integrated Science (90.5%) and Mathematics (88.9%), while Social Studies with Religious Education (86.7%) was the poorest performed subject. UNEB noted that while English showed improvement compared to 2024, performance in Social Studies declined significantly .

More Division One Passes Recorded

Overall results indicate an improvement in top-level performance. 91,990 candidates passed in Division One, an increase of 7,689 compared to 2024. In total, 7,503 more candidates passed PLE in 2025 than the previous year.

Most candidates scored aggregates between 11 and 30, with the mode at aggregate 22, reflecting a concentration of performance within the pass range.

Gender Performance Trends

While girls outperformed boys in English, boys performed slightly better in Mathematics, Integrated Science, and Social Studies. Overall, boys recorded a higher proportion of Division One and Two passes and a lower failure rate than girls .

Special Groups: Prison Inmates and Learners with Special Needs

UNEB registered 3,636 learners with special needs, an increase of 9.3% from 2024, attributed to increased awareness and inclusive assessment practices. The majority of these candidates attained Division Two .

A total of 101 prison inmates from Luzira Upper Prison and Mbarara Main Prison also registered for PLE. Several candidates from both facilities achieved Division One and Two passes, highlighting continued access to education for inmates .

Examination Malpractice Still a Concern

UNEB expressed concern over persistent examination malpractice, including cases where invigilators were bribed or threatened to allow teacher assistance in examination rooms. Results of affected candidates have been withheld pending investigations, particularly in districts such as Kisoro, Kampala, Mukono, Namutumba, Kassanda, Buyende and Kaliro .

However, the Board commended districts like Kyenjojo, Kabarole and Bundibugyo for improved compliance following strict administrative action taken in previous years.

Accessing Results

Results have been uploaded to the UNEB Centre Portal, with hard copies available for district education officials from February 2, 2026. Parents and candidates can also access results via SMS by sending “PLE [Index Number]” to 6600 on MTN and Airtel networks .

UNEB urged head teachers to verify results and submit any corrections within two weeks of release.